By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1450     (Gates)           A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to third-party review of development documents and   inspection of improvements required to be approved by a political   subdivision.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 247.002, Local Government Code, as added   by Chapter 654 (H.B. 14), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular   Session, 2023, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 247.002.  THIRD-PARTY REVIEW OR INSPECTION REQUIRED.     (a)  If a regulatory authority does not approve, conditionally   approve, or disapprove a development document, including a   development permit, by the 15th day after the date prescribed by a   provision of this code for the approval, conditional approval, or   disapproval of the document, any required review of the document   may be performed by a person:                (1)  other than:                      (A)  the applicant; or                      (B)  a person whose work is the subject of the   application; and                (2)  who is:                      (A)  employed by the regulatory authority to   review development documents;                      (B)  employed by another political subdivision to   review development documents, if the regulatory authority has   approved the person to review development documents; or                      (C)  an engineer licensed under Chapter 1001,   Occupations Code.          (b)  If a regulatory authority does not conduct a required   development inspection by the 15th day after the date prescribed by   a provision of this code for conducting the inspection, the   inspection may be conducted by a person:                (1)  other than:                      (A)  the owner of the land or improvement to the   land that is the subject of the inspection; or                      (B)  a person whose work is the subject of the   inspection; and                (2)  who is:                      (A)  certified [to inspect buildings] by the   International Code Council;                      (B)  employed by the regulatory authority as a   building inspector;                      (C)  employed by another political subdivision as   a building inspector, if the regulatory authority has approved the   person to perform inspections; or                      (D)  an engineer licensed under Chapter 1001,   Occupations Code.          (c)  A political subdivision is not liable for a review or   inspection performed by a third party under this chapter.           SECTION 2.  Section 247.002(a), Local Government Code, as   amended by this Act, and Section 247.002(c), Local Government Code,   as added by this Act, are intended to clarify rather than change   existing law.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2025.