Texas has several new laws that could have a big impact on construction, a massive industry that contributes $101 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, according to Associated General Contractors of America. Five relevant bills were just signed into law in the legislature’s most recent session.

Source: ConstructionDive

Read on about five new laws and their implications for construction, plus other key bills that are dead for now but could be revived in the future.

Texas Regulatory Consistency Act rolls back local worker protections. This wide-ranging legislation bars cities and counties from passing regulations and overturns existing rules that go further than state law in a wide range of areas: agriculture, business and commerce, finance, insurance, labor, natural resources, occupations and property.

Texas has several new laws that could have a big impact on construction, a massive industry that contributes $101 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, according to Associated General Contractors of America. Five relevant bills were just signed into law in the legislature’s most recent session.

Read on about five new laws and their implications for construction, plus other key bills that are dead for now but could be revived in the future.

Texas Regulatory Consistency Act rolls back local worker protections. This wide-ranging legislation bars cities and counties from passing regulations and overturns existing rules that go further than state law in a wide range of areas: agriculture, business and commerce, finance, insurance, labor, natural resources, occupations and property

Its supporters say its purpose is to minimize cumbersome and differing business regulations across the state and provide consistency. For Texas’ construction industry, it would block local ordinances that mandate paid sick leave, water breaks for construction workers in Austin and Dallas, a $15 minimum wage for workers on county construction projects and safety training in Harris County.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed H.B. 2127 into law on June 13, after it passed the legislature in April.

Texas Jobs & Security Act restricts clean energy projects from tax breaks. This new law exempts oil and gas projects from the property taxes they pay to local school districts, but bars clean energy builds such as wind and solar farms from easily receiving such exemptions. The bill replaces the similar, expired Chapter 313 program that sought to create economic incentives for megaprojects that bring jobs and investment into a school district.

Despite its history as a fossil fuel producer, Texas is enjoying a booming business in clean energy right now — the state actually led the country in renewable energy projects in 2021, according to a report from the American Clean Power Association trade group. Oil and gas industry leaders applauded H.B. 5, but critics say it would sap momentum in the clean energy sector and give fossil fuel producers an unfair advantage.

Abbott signed H.B. 5 on June 9, after it passed the legislature in May.

H.B. 14 speeds permitting by allowing third-party reviews. Under this law, if a municipality doesn’t act on a development application or conduct a necessary inspection within 15 days of state-set deadlines, the applicant is allowed to use a third-party reviewer to conduct the inspection and sign off on permits.

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