New homebuyers stand to gain some protection, builders to be licensed
The much-maligned Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) was given new life after the Sunset Commission unanimously rejected its own staff's recommendation that it be allowed to die. But the TRCC, scorned by one state official as the "builder protection agency," will be a changed outfit if a reform bill that passed a House committee last week becomes law. "Establishing at least a minimum standard for what it means to be a builder in this state; requiring them to hold a bond in case they've done something wrong - they have to be accountable for that; that's good," noted Winslow. "It's a real improvement."

Bill to Save TRCC From Sun Setting on the Builders Agency Moves
HB 2295 – the TRCC Sunset bill – was substituted and voted out of committee last Friday with a unanimous vote.  The bill and a summary are attached. The bill now refers to builders as "Licensed" rather than "Registered," with a surety bond for some builders and educational requirements, are some of the features included in the bill.   After this bill is voted out of the House, it’ll move to the Senate for a hearing.

 Substitute Bill 2295  - Summary of TRCC Sunset Bill HB 2295

Buying a home? Think thrice!
Here's the latest from Texas, which shouldn't surprise anyone. The “great state” of Texas has a state “regulatory” agency called the Texas Residential Construction Commission,...it's of no surprise to me to learn that Texas builders, which, according to today's report on NPR have financed the elections of all but six of Texas' 188 “elected” legislators, are up in arms about an uppity legislator from a district north of Austin who has dared to propose new legislation to abolish this agency, just because the largest builder in his district is walking around (make that riding around in his armed limousine with tinted windows) with 37 felony indictments hanging over his head for building and selling high priced trash boxes disguised as houses. These charges, no doubt, are supposed to go away the usual way, with a little help from his friends: namely those other 182 legislators and their appointed judges. The whole purpose of the TRCC is, of course, to protect crooked homebuilders from being sued by their victims, and it has proven to be highly effective.