SB1948

The restriction: notwithstanding other law, a governmental entity may not adopt or enforce an ordinance, order, rule or other measure requiring installation of a fire protection sprinkler system in any of the seven listed categories. The incorporated definition covers state executive-branch agencies, including public higher-education institutions, and political subdivisions such as cities and counties. The act does not purport to bind the federal government or prohibit a private insurer’s requirements. Final law, new Government Code Sections 3001.001–.002; Governmental-entity definition before the effective date.

Which buildings qualify: a nonresidential farm building is a temporary or permanent building on a farm, ranch or other agricultural facility, used primarily for agriculture and not intended as a residential dwelling. Examples include barns, greenhouses, shade houses, farm offices, storage buildings, workshops, poultry houses, animal-handling facilities, and commodity-storage and feed-processing facilities. An agricultural pole barn is such a building with at least 70% of its perimeter walls permanently open and allowing free entry and exit. That 70% test defines pole barns; it is not an additional requirement for every nonresidential farm building or every other listed category. Final law, Section 3001.001.

A livestock market means a stockyard, sales pavilion or sales ring where livestock, exotic livestock or exotic fowl are assembled at regular or irregular intervals for sale, trade, barter or exchange. The act separately lists cotton gins, cottonseed storage buildings, grain storage facilities and commercial feed mills. It does not require owners to remove existing sprinklers or forbid voluntary installation. Final law; Incorporated livestock-market definition before the effective date.

How the proposal changed: the introduced bill addressed political subdivisions in the Local Government Code and listed five categories. The Senate committee substitute moved the measure to the Government Code, broadened it to the defined governmental entities, expressly included rules, and added cottonseed storage buildings and grain storage facilities. The Senate-passed, House committee and enrolled operative texts retain that substitute without further substantive changes. The official amendment index lists no floor amendments. Certified final votes were 27–3 in the Senate and 104–35 in the House, with four House members present but not voting. Introduced; Senate committee substitute; Senate-passed; House committee; Final law; Version index; Amendment index.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Owners of covered facilities may avoid sprinkler-installation costs that a Texas governmental entity would otherwise require. Conversely, affected agencies and local governments lose that particular fire-prevention tool for these facilities. This is a legal change, not evidence that a particular building is safe without sprinklers or that fire losses will increase or decrease. Residential dwellings are excluded from the nonresidential-farm-building definition; the act is not a blanket exemption for farmhouses. Other fire-safety requirements are not generally repealed by its narrow installation prohibition. Final law.

The March 28 introduced fiscal note and March 31 Senate-substitute fiscal note anticipate no state fiscal implication and no significant local-government fiscal implication. Neither quantifies private construction savings, insurance effects or changes in fire losses. Those costs and benefits should not be represented as established figures. Introduced fiscal note; Substitute fiscal note.