House Bill No. 993 amends Section 214.904 of the Local Government Code to establish stricter timelines and requirements for processing municipal building permit applications. The bill mandates that municipalities must grant or deny a permit application within 45 days of submission, and if they cannot meet this deadline, they are required to provide written notice to the applicant explaining the delay. Additionally, for commercial building permits, municipalities must reach a written agreement with the applicant to set a new deadline for the decision. If a municipality fails to comply with these requirements, they are prohibited from collecting permit fees and must refund any fees already collected.

The bill also introduces new provisions that prevent municipalities from denying a permit solely due to their inability to comply with the established timelines, and they cannot require applicants to waive these requirements. Furthermore, the bill clarifies the definition of "commercial" as it pertains to building permits. The changes will apply only to applications submitted on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Local Government Code 214.904 (Local Government Code 214)