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. Under the new provisions, municipalities must grant or deny a permit application within 45 days of submission, or provide written notice explaining the delay. For commercial building permits, municipalities are required to reach a written agreement with the applicant to set a deadline for the decision. If a municipality fails to comply with these requirements, it cannot collect permit fees and must refund any fees already collected.

Additionally, the bill prohibits municipalities from denying a permit solely due to their inability to meet the specified timelines and prevents them from requiring applicants to waive these requirements. The amendments clarify that the term "commercial" is defined as per Section 214.211. 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)
House Committee Report: Local Government Code 214.904 (Local Government Code 214)