| 1 | 1 | | 89R17036 MZM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 4999 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the registration of vacant buildings in certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | municipalities. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 214.232, Local Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 214.232. PRESUMPTION OF VACANCY. A building is |
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| 15 | 15 | | presumed to be vacant under this subchapter if: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) all lawful residential, commercial, recreational, |
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| 17 | 17 | | charitable, or construction activity at the building has ceased, or |
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| 18 | 18 | | reasonably appears to have ceased, for more than three months [150 |
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| 19 | 19 | | days]; or |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) the building contains more than three units, 75 |
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| 21 | 21 | | percent or more of which have not been used lawfully, or reasonably |
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| 22 | 22 | | appear not to have been used lawfully, for more than three months |
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| 23 | 23 | | [150 days]. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 214.233, Local Government Code, is |
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| 25 | 25 | | amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) A municipality with a population of two million or more |
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| 27 | 27 | | that is located in a county described by Subsection (a) shall adopt |
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| 28 | 28 | | the ordinance described by that subsection. In addition to the |
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| 29 | 29 | | registration requirement, the ordinance must require: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) each owner of a vacant building to renew the |
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| 31 | 31 | | registration each year that the building remains vacant; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) a designated municipal official to create, |
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| 33 | 33 | | maintain, and periodically update a vacancy registration database |
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| 34 | 34 | | on the municipality's Internet website that lists the address of |
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| 35 | 35 | | each vacant structure designed for use as a habitation that has been |
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| 36 | 36 | | registered with the official. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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