Homebuilders TRCC -Tom Archer President, Homeowners of Texas Inc.
The editorial states that the Sunset Advisory Commission "voted to give the construction commission greater authority to revoke or suspend a builder's license." The term "license" is a misnomer because Texas, unlike 28 other states, does not require homebuilders to be licensed. Unfortunately, Texas only requires builders to be "registered" with the Texas Residential Construction Commission. Consequently, unqualified and unscrupulous homebuilders frequently enter the profession because the TRCC requires only that a registered builder to be 18 years old, a "trustworthy" Texas resident and legally able to work in the United States. Texans who buy a used car have far more consumer protections than Texans who buy a new home. As recommended by the Sunset Commission staff, the TRCC should be abolished to protect the public. In addition, all construction trades should be licensed and held financially and legally accountable to Texas homeowners.

Homeowner protection needed
The Texas Sunset Commission missed the boat when it failed to support the elimination of the Texas Residential Construction Commission. It is long past time for the Legislature to create a real agency to protect the Texas public as most other states have done. The honest, qualified and reputable builders have nothing to lose by supporting the creation of a real regulatory agency.

Senator’s got Sunset on his mind
The agency is supposed to oversee home inspections and help the homeowner and builder come to an out-of-court agreement. But critics contend that this process often gets mired in bureaucracy. “The bottom line is that it doesn’t serve the interests of homeowners,” said Alex Winslow, executive director of Texas Watch, an Austin-based consumer advocacy organization. Winslow wants the Legislature to abolish the agency and adopt more rigorous licensing standards for home builders, but he will also support making the state commission inspection process optional to homeowners.

Texas lawmakers flush with building industry contributions vote to extend life of fatally flawed TRCC
In disregarding a recommendation of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission staff to dismantle the Texas Residential Construction Commission, the elected members of the Sunset Commission's governing board have served their political interests at the expense of constituents...The Sunset Commission staff concluded that the TRCC is too flawed to repair and "without true regulation designed to ensure public protection," Texans are better served without it. We wholeheartedly agree and hope that in the coming legislative session, lawmakers will vote to shutter this sham of a commission.

Construction panel lacks effective power
The Sunset staff in August recommended that the construction commission be abolished because it and the law that created it were so badly designed and built that it was "easy for even problem builders to stay in business."  In essence, the law forced the buyer of a new home who had unresolved complaints about a defect to go through a new government bureaucracy, the construction commission, to resolve disputes before any lawsuit could be filed. ..But as the Sunset staff found, even after the Legislature tried to strengthen the construction commission's powers in 2005, it "still has no real power to require builders to make needed repairs."

Builder, homeowner mediator gets thumbs up
Ten lawmakers who rejected a recommendation to abolish the state agency that helps shield home builders from consumer lawsuits have received a total of at least half a million dollars in campaign contributions from builders since 2000...Most of the money — $486,000 — came from Houston home builder Bob Perry. Another $22,050 was contributed by the Texas Association of Builders' political action cmmittee...  “We're talking about the largest campaign contributor in the state of Texas in Bob Perry, and certainly the home builders lobby is influential at the Capitol,” he said...Hegar, R-Katy, has received $64,500 in campaign contributions from builder Perry, including $45,000 in 2006 during his first Senate race.