Bill
HB 1572
85(R) - 2017
House Business & Industry
House Business & Industry
Local Government
Property Owners Association
Property Rights
Safety
Vote Recommendation
Yes
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Neutral
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Positive
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Positive
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Positive
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Neutral
Author(s)
Paul Workman
Bill Caption
Relating to a property owner’s right to remove a tree or vegetation that the owner believes poses a fire risk.
Fiscal Notes
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
Under current law, certain counties and organizations are authorized to prohibit or restrict the clear-cutting of trees. HB 1572 would, under most circumstances, prohibit the application of such a rule created by a political subdivision or a property owner’s association in cases involving the removal of a tree or vegetation on an owner’s residential property that the owner believes poses a fire hazard.
Vote Recommendation Notes
This bill supports the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, and property rights by explicitly enabling property owners to remove trees and vegetation that poses a hazard to their property. For this reason, we support HB 1572.
Organizations Supporting
Texas Apartment Association
Texas Association of Realtors
Texas Farm Bureau
Organizations Opposed
City of Austin
City of El Paso
Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club
Texas Municipal League