Bill Text: TX HB4011 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to reporting and monitoring requirements related to fire protection sprinkler systems in residential high-rise buildings.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Referred to Business & Commerce [HB4011 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB4011-Engrossed.html
| 84R22719 SCL-D | ||
| By: Martinez Fischer | H.B. No. 4011 | |
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| relating to reporting and monitoring requirements related to fire | ||
| protection sprinkler systems in residential high-rise buildings. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 417, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 417.012 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 417.012. REPORTING AND MONITORING OF FIRE PROTECTION | ||
| SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN RESIDENTIAL HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS; EXPIRATION. | ||
| (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Fire department" means a department of a local | ||
| government that is staffed by permanent, full-time employees of the | ||
| local government and that is organized to prevent or suppress | ||
| fires. | ||
| (2) "Fire protection sprinkler system" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 6003.001, Insurance Code. | ||
| (3) "Local government" means a municipality, county, | ||
| or special district. | ||
| (4) "Residential high-rise building" means a building | ||
| used primarily for a residential purpose and that extends at least | ||
| 75 feet from the ground. | ||
| (b) Not later than December 1 of each year, a local | ||
| government with a fire department, in collaboration with the local | ||
| government's fire department, shall submit to the state fire | ||
| marshal a report on residential high-rise buildings located in | ||
| areas served by the fire department that are not currently fully | ||
| equipped with a fire protection sprinkler system in good working | ||
| order. The report must include the following information for each | ||
| building: | ||
| (1) whether the building has a fire protection | ||
| sprinkler system in only part of the building, and if so, which | ||
| part; | ||
| (2) the building's street and mailing address; | ||
| (3) the name of the owner of the building; | ||
| (4) the number of current occupants; | ||
| (5) whether at least 50 percent of the residents of the | ||
| building are elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, | ||
| or individuals with impaired mobility; | ||
| (6) a listing of previous safety violations; | ||
| (7) the action, if any, that has been taken to address | ||
| issues preventing the building from being equipped with a fire | ||
| protection sprinkler system in good working order; | ||
| (8) the plan, if any, that is in place to address | ||
| issues preventing the building from being equipped with a fire | ||
| protection sprinkler system in good working order and the date the | ||
| plan will be implemented; and | ||
| (9) any other information requested by the state fire | ||
| marshal. | ||
| (c) The state fire marshal may conduct an inspection or | ||
| further investigation of a residential high-rise building | ||
| described by a report submitted under this section, and the state | ||
| fire marshal may monitor a plan submitted under this section. The | ||
| state fire marshal may consult with a local government and fire | ||
| department on best practices related to fire safety for residential | ||
| high-rise buildings. | ||
| (d) The state fire marshal shall prepare and electronically | ||
| submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, and members of the | ||
| legislature a report of the information collected and analyzed | ||
| under this section and an assessment of the proposed actions and | ||
| plans. The report may also include any other information and | ||
| recommendations that the state fire marshal considers necessary. | ||
| (e) This section expires August 31, 2019. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
