Bill Text: TX SB1801 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the adoption of fire hydrant requirements for a wildland-urban interface in certain municipalities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-05-06 - Referred to Natural Resources [SB1801 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB1801-Engrossed.html
| By: Watson | S.B. No. 1801 | |
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| relating to the adoption of fire hydrant requirements for a | ||
| wildland-urban interface in certain municipalities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Chapter 797 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 797. WILDFIRE PREVENTION | ||
| Sec. 797.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Director" means the director of the Texas A&M | ||
| Forest Service. | ||
| (1-a) "Municipal utility" means a retail public | ||
| utility, as defined by Section 13.002, Water Code, that is owned by | ||
| a municipality. | ||
| (2) "Wildfire" and "wildland" have the meanings | ||
| assigned by Section 88.1015, Education Code. | ||
| (3) "Wildland-urban interface" means a place where an | ||
| urban area and wildland meet and that: | ||
| (A) is designated by the director to be an | ||
| at-risk area for wildfires; or | ||
| (B) is an area within one-half mile of a place | ||
| described by Paragraph (A). | ||
| Sec. 797.002. FIRE HYDRANT REQUIREMENTS FOR WILDLAND-URBAN | ||
| INTERFACE. (a) This section applies only to a municipality with a | ||
| population of 2,500 or more, located in a county that has a | ||
| population of more than one million and less than 1.5 million, that | ||
| has within its boundaries a wildland-urban interface. | ||
| (b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (d), a | ||
| governing body of a municipality may by ordinance require a fire | ||
| hydrant located in that municipality to conform to flow and | ||
| pressure standards established by the ordinance. | ||
| (c) A municipality may consult with county and state fire | ||
| prevention agencies in adopting standards under Subsection (b). | ||
| (d) A municipality may not adopt an ordinance under | ||
| Subsection (b) unless the municipality makes a reasonably diligent | ||
| effort to: | ||
| (1) consider other available options for reducing the | ||
| threat of wildfires; | ||
| (2) estimate the probable cost to consumers of an | ||
| ordinance adopted under Subsection (b); and | ||
| (3) consider any available method for reducing the | ||
| cost described by Subdivision (2). | ||
| (e) If the municipality owns a municipal utility, an | ||
| ordinance adopted under Subsection (b) may not require another | ||
| utility located in the municipality or the municipality's | ||
| extraterritorial jurisdiction to provide water flow and pressure in | ||
| a fire hydrant at a level greater than that provided by the | ||
| municipal utility. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
