By: Springer	S.B. No. 560
	(In the Senate - Filed January 23, 2023; February 17, 2023,
	read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government;
	May 16, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
	Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 16, 2023,
	sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 560	By:  Parker

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the time for processing a municipal building permit
	application.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 214.904, Local Government Code, is
	amended by amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections
	(e)  and (f) to read as follows:
	(b)  Not later than the 45th day after the date an
	application for a permit is submitted, the municipality must:
	(1)  grant or deny the permit;
	(2)  provide written notice to the applicant stating
	the reasons why the municipality has been unable to grant or deny
	the permit application in the time required by this subsection; or
	(3)  for a commercial building permit only, reach a
	written agreement with the applicant providing for a deadline for
	granting or denying the permit.
	(d)  If a municipality fails to comply with this section
	[grant or deny a permit application in the time required by
	Subsection (c) or by an agreement under Subsection (b)(3)], the
	municipality:
	(1)  may not collect any permit fees associated with
	the application; and
	(2)  shall refund to the applicant any permit fees
	associated with the application that have been collected.
	(e)  A municipality may not:
	(1)  deny a permit solely because the municipality is
	unable to comply with this section; or
	(2)  require an applicant to waive the requirements of
	this section.
	(f)  In this section, "commercial" has the meaning assigned
	by Section 214.211.
	SECTION 2.  Section 214.904, Local Government Code, as
	amended by this Act, applies only to a municipal building permit
	application that is submitted on or after the effective date of this
	Act. An application submitted before the effective date of this Act
	is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was
	submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
	purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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