States Adopt 2009 Building Codes, creating Greener, Safer Communities
Safer and more energy-efficient building codes are being adopted across the nation [But NOT in Texas!]

In this News Release, the International Code Council says states such as California, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already adopted the latest building code standards. Texas, however, has not. In fact, the Texas Association of Builders fought hard against the standards and even got a law passed  to prohibit municipalities from adopting stronger building standards on their own.

Dirty Politics in the final days of the legislative session

Below are links to the early and final copies of two bills (House Bill 2833 and Senate Bill 1410) that were introduced as well-crafted legislation with broad-based support.  However, in the chaotic final days of the legislative session they were amended by friends of the builder lobbyists and were transformed into legislative nightmares.  A comparison of the two versions of each bill gives insight into the political dirty tricks of powerful lobbyists and their legislative friends.

·      HB 2833 (Introduced | Final) began as a local bill that enabled El Paso County to control the growth and future development of grossly substandard colonias. It ended up as a bill with statewide impact allowing counties to approve only three virtually meaningless inspections that were a carryover from the TRCC.   Ultimately this bill did nothing to regulate colonias.  The amended bill was approved by the House on a 72 to 71 vote. 

·      SB 1410 (Introduced | Final) originally amended licensing standards for plumbers but ended up prohibiting Texas cities from protecting their citizens’ health, safety and welfare and adopting requirements for fire sprinklers in new homes after January 1, 2009.  This bill was approved by the Senate on the last day of the legislative session.

See also: Texas Builders Oppose Fire Sprinkler Requirements