HBA-ALS H.B. 2475 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2475 By: Wise Licensing & Administrative Procedures 4/13/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law requires that a licensed plumber connect water or sewer service in small towns with a population over 5,000, except for connections to homesteads. However, many colonia home purchasers are unable to qualify for homestead status, and therefore, must hire a professional plumbers, rather than being able to utilize self-help labor under the Texas Small Town Environment Program (STEP). The purpose of this legislation is to make changes to the STEP program regarding the provision of plumbing services to economically distressed areas in the state, particularly in the colonias. H.B. 2475 exempts from plumbing licensing requirements certified self-help projects under the STEP program in certain economically distressed areas. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 3, Title 109A, Article 6243-101, V. T. C. S. (The Plumbing License Law), by adding Subsection (c) to provide that plumbing work may be done without a license by an organization providing "Self Help" work through a STEP program, certified by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, in an area of a county within 150 miles of the international border the majority population of which is designated as having low income or very low income according to the federal Office of Management and Budget poverty index and qualifies as an economically distressed area under Section 17.921, Water Code (Definitions) or that has the physical and economic characteristics of a colonia. Redesignates existing Subsections (c)-(e) to Subsections (d)-(f). SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3.Emergency clause.