Bill Text: TX HB1576 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a grant program for hurricane and windstorm loss mitigation for single-family residential property.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-12-11 - Filed [HB1576 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1576-Introduced.html
| 89R5278 DNC-D | ||
| By: Oliverson | H.B. No. 1576 | |
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| relating to a grant program for hurricane and windstorm loss | ||
| mitigation for single-family residential property. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 10, Insurance Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Chapter 1813 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 1813. GRANT PROGRAM FOR HURRICANE AND WINDSTORM LOSS | ||
| MITIGATION FOR SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY | ||
| Sec. 1813.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "program" | ||
| means the hurricane and windstorm loss prevention grant program | ||
| established under this chapter. | ||
| Sec. 1813.002. CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER. This chapter does | ||
| not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the state | ||
| to fund the inspection or retrofitting of residential property in | ||
| this state. | ||
| Sec. 1813.003. RULEMAKING. The commissioner may adopt | ||
| rules necessary to implement this chapter. | ||
| Sec. 1813.004. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. The commissioner | ||
| shall establish the hurricane and windstorm loss prevention grant | ||
| program to provide grants to retrofit eligible residential property | ||
| to resist hurricane and windstorm losses. | ||
| Sec. 1813.005. ELIGIBILITY. An owner of residential | ||
| property may apply for a grant under the program if: | ||
| (1) the property to be retrofitted is: | ||
| (A) a single-family home or HUD-code | ||
| manufactured home, as defined by Section 1201.003, Occupations | ||
| Code; and | ||
| (B) the owner's residence homestead, as defined | ||
| by Section 11.13, Tax Code; and | ||
| (2) the owner and the property meet other eligibility | ||
| requirements for the program prescribed by commissioner rule. | ||
| Sec. 1813.006. AWARD OF GRANTS. The commissioner may award | ||
| grants under the program to eligible applicants to ensure the state | ||
| purpose of protecting public safety during a hurricane or windstorm | ||
| is achieved. The commissioner may only award a grant under a | ||
| contract between the department and a grant recipient that includes | ||
| provisions under which the department is given sufficient control | ||
| to ensure the state purpose is accomplished and the state receives | ||
| the return benefit. | ||
| Sec. 1813.007. USE OF GRANT. (a) A grant under the program | ||
| must be used to retrofit the property that is the subject of the | ||
| grant to one of the following: | ||
| (1) the fortified home hurricane standard or fortified | ||
| home high wind and hail standard adopted by the Institute for | ||
| Business and Home Safety; or | ||
| (2) another mitigation program, construction | ||
| technique, or standardized code that may be submitted by an insurer | ||
| and approved by the commissioner. | ||
| (b) A property that is a HUD-code manufactured home, as | ||
| defined by Section 1201.003, Occupations Code, in wind zone III as | ||
| designated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban | ||
| Development must be retrofitted to the fortified home hurricane | ||
| manufactured/modular home guidelines adopted by the Institute for | ||
| Business and Home Safety. | ||
| Sec. 1813.008. PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS. (a) The | ||
| recipient of a grant under this chapter shall secure all required | ||
| local permits and inspections for a retrofitting project to be | ||
| performed using the grant and ensure that the project is performed | ||
| in accordance with local building codes. | ||
| (b) The department or a political subdivision in which | ||
| property for which a grant is awarded is located may inspect the | ||
| property at any time during the progress of or following completion | ||
| of the retrofitting project for compliance with laws applicable to | ||
| the project. | ||
| Sec. 1813.009. HURRICANE AND WINDSTORM MITIGATION ACCOUNT. | ||
| (a) The hurricane and windstorm mitigation account is a dedicated | ||
| account in the general revenue fund. Money in the account may be | ||
| appropriated only to the department and only for the purpose of | ||
| implementing the program. | ||
| (b) The account is composed of: | ||
| (1) gifts, grants, donations, and legislative | ||
| appropriations; and | ||
| (2) interest earned on the investment of money in the | ||
| account. | ||
| (c) Section 403.0956, Government Code, does not apply to the | ||
| account. | ||
| (d) The department administers the account. The department | ||
| may solicit and receive gifts, grants, and donations from any | ||
| source for the benefit of the account. | ||
| Sec. 1813.010. NONPROFIT ADMINISTRATION. (a) The | ||
| commissioner may make grants or funding available through the | ||
| program to a nonprofit organization for use by the organization to | ||
| retrofit eligible property in the manner required by this chapter. | ||
| (b) A nonprofit organization that received a grant or | ||
| funding under this section must administer the grant or funding in | ||
| the same manner as the program is required to administer grants or | ||
| funding. The organization shall provide any documentation | ||
| requested by the department in a timely manner. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
