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Legislators are considering bills that would affect Texas home builders and property owners.
Currently, Texas home builders must comply with a multitude of building codes. Senate Bill 365 provides for the adoption of the International Residential Code (IRC) as the uniform residential building code in Texas. The IRC is a single, comprehensive set of model codes that regulates all aspects of building design, including mechanical, plumbing and building specifications.
Supporters of SB 365 state that home builders working in large areas must meet the requirements of several different codes. Therefore, implementing the IRC will eliminate unnecessary confusion and delays in the building process.
Opponents debate that the city government should have the option of choosing the building code that best suits the city's demographics.
Senate Bill 517 addresses the concern of substandard housing developments in rural areas where counties have little authority over how the land is developed. The bill would allow the County Commissioners' Court to adopt certain building codes and regulations relating to buildings, lots and tracts in unincorporated areas of the county. Counties could regulate the size of lots and the size, height and number of buildings on a particular tract. They also would have the power to regulate the percentage of a tract that may be occupied and the location of buildings on a lot. Further, the bill would allow counties to adopt building codes to promote safe building, plumbing and electrical standards in these areas.
Supporters of this bill point out that the State has had a proliferation of substandard housing developments sprout up in rural areas and that counties need the authority to ensure that these developments are safe and adequate for people to live in. They say that many times with the absence of building codes in these areas, people are not aware of the potential problems they may encounter.
Opponents of the bill say that granting zoning powers to counties is going too far. They argue that people move out of cities many times to avoid the regulatory authority granted to cities.
I would be interested in hearing your comments on these bills. Please write to my Austin office at P.O. Box 2910, Austin, Texas, 78768.
State Representative Ron Clark
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
(903) 893-9426 * (512) 463-0474
(512) 475-3767 (fax)
ron.clark@house.state.tx.us
http://www.grayson.edu/district62/RonClark.html
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