TITLE 22.EXAMINING BOARDS

Part 6. TEXAS BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS

Chapter 139. ENFORCEMENT

Subchapter C. ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS

22 TAC §139.35

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers proposes an amendment to §139.35, relating to Sanctions and Penalties. The proposed amendment will clarify the sanctions associated with rule modifications made to §137.57 and §137.63 by adding suggested sanctions for care and diligence and misrepresentation by being misleading.

The proposed rule change adds a suggested sanction for failure to exercise care and diligence in the practice of engineering and a suggested sanction to the misrepresentation of issuing an oral or written assertion in the practice of engineering that are misleading.

C.W. Clark, P.E., Director of Compliance and Enforcement for the board, has determined that for the first five-year period the proposed amendment is in effect there are no fiscal implications for the state or local government as a result of enforcing or administering the section as amended. Mr. Clark has determined that there is no additional cost to the agency or to licensees. There is no effect to individuals required to comply with the amendment as proposed. There is no effect to small or micro businesses.

Mr. Clark also has determined that for the first five years the proposed amendment is in effect, the public benefit anticipated is that a clarification of the rule is made and recommended sanctions are clearly reflected for each violation.

Comments may be submitted no later than 30 days after the publication of this notice to C.W. Clark, P.E., Director of Compliance and Enforcement, Texas Board of Professional Engineers, 1917 IH-35 South, Austin, Texas 78741 or faxed to his attention at (512) 440-5715.

The amendment is proposed pursuant to the Texas Engineering Practice Act, Occupations Code §1001.202, which authorizes the board to make and enforce all rules and regulations and bylaws consistent with the Act as necessary for the performance of its duties, the governance of its own, proceedings, and the regulation of the practice of engineering in this state.

No other statutes, articles or codes are affected by the proposed amendment.

§139.35.Sanctions and Penalties.

(a) (No change.)

(b) The following is a table of suggested sanctions the board may impose against license holders for specific violations of the Act or board rules:

Figure: 22 TAC §139.35(b)

(c) - (e) (No change.)

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on June 21, 2006.

TRD-200603388

Dale Beebe Farrow, P.E.

Executive Director

Texas Board of Professional Engineers

Earliest possible date of adoption: August 6, 2006

For further information, please call: (512) 440-7723


Part 23. TEXAS REAL ESTATE COMMISSION

Chapter 533. PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

22 TAC §533.34, §533.35

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) proposes amendments to §533.34, concerning Disapproval of an Application for a License or Registration and §533.35, concerning Revocation or Other Action against a License or Registration. The amendment to §533.34 clarifies that notice of disapproval will not be provided to a sponsoring broker of an applicant for a salesperson license as such licenses are issued as inactive with no sponsoring broker. The amendment to §533.35 clarifies that a hearing concerning a revocation or other disciplinary action against a licensee will be held at a time and place designated by the Commission except in cases involving a violation of §1101.652(a)(3) or (b), Texas Occupations Code. In those cases, the hearing shall be held pursuant to §1101.657(d) if the licensee requests. The amendments are proposed in connection with TREC's on-going review of its rules and are generally intended to update and to clarify the rules to be consistent with Chapter 1101, Occupations Code, and recent revisions thereto.

Loretta R. DeHay, General Counsel, has determined that for the first five-year period the amendments are in effect there will be no fiscal implications for the state as a result of enforcing or administering the amended sections. There are no anticipated fiscal implications for units of local government. There is no anticipated impact on small businesses, micro businesses or local or state employment as a result of implementing the amended sections.

Ms. DeHay also has determined that for each year of the first five years the amendments as proposed are in effect the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing the amended sections will be consistency with the underlying statutory authority for the rule. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the proposed amendments.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Loretta R. DeHay, General Counsel, Texas Real Estate Commission, P.O. Box 12188, Austin, Texas 78711-2188.

The amendments are proposed under Texas Occupations Code, §1101.151, which authorizes the Texas Real Estate Commission to make and enforce all rules and regulations necessary for the performance of its duties and to establish standards of conduct and ethics for its licensees in keeping with the purposed and intent of the Act to insure compliance with the provisions of the Act.

The statute affected by this proposal is Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1101. No other statute, code or article is affected by the proposed amendments.

§533.34.Disapproval of an Application for a License or Registration.

Notice and hearings relating to disapproval of an application for a license or registration issued by the Texas Real Estate Commission are governed by the statute under which the application was filed and by the Administrative Procedure Act, Texas Government Code, §§2001.001 et seq. The commission also will notify a [ sponsoring broker or ] sponsoring inspector of the disapproval, but a sponsoring broker or sponsoring inspector is not required to request a hearing or to be named or admitted as a party in the proceeding before the commission. A hearing pursuant to this section will be held at a place designated by the commission. Failure to request a hearing timely waives the right to judicial appeal, and the determination becomes final and unappealable.

§533.35.Revocation or Other Action against a License or Registration.

A license or registration issued by the Texas Real Estate Commission may not be revoked or other action taken against the license or registration except after notice and opportunity for hearing pursuant to statutory obligation and these sections. If a real estate salesperson is a respondent, the commission also will notify the salesperson's sponsoring broker of the hearing. If an apprentice inspector or real estate inspector is a respondent, the commission also will notify the sponsoring professional inspector of the hearing. The hearing will be held at a time and place designated by the commission, except as provided by §1101.657, Texas Occupations Code, for a violation of §1101.652(a)(3) or (b) Pursuant to §1101.657, [ that ] upon the written request of a respondent licensed as a Texas real estate broker or [ , ] real estate salesperson[ , or inspector, or registered as an easement or right-of-way agent, ] filed within five days after receipt of the notice of hearing, the hearing will be held in the county where the principal place of business of the respondent is maintained. If the respondent is a licensee or registrant who does not reside within this state, the hearing may be held in any county within this state.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on June 20, 2006.

TRD-200603376

Loretta R. DeHay

General Counsel

Texas Real Estate Commission

Earliest possible date of adoption: August 6, 2006

For further information, please call: (512) 465-3900


Chapter 543. RULES RELATING TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS TIMESHARE ACT

22 TAC §§543.3, 543.4, 543.12

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) proposes amendments to §543.3, concerning Fees, §543.4, concerning Forms, and proposes new §543.12, concerning Renewal of Registration. The amendments and new rule are proposed to implement revisions to the Texas Timeshare Act, Chapter 221, Texas Property Code enacted during the 79th Legislative Session, Regular Session, by House Bill 1045. The amendments provide for renewal requirements for registered timeshare properties, including a renewal form, and renewal fees. The amendments also propose to amend the Abbreviated Registration of a Timeshare Plan to request additional information from the developer about the jurisdiction in which the plan is already registered and to fix some typographical errors in the form.

Loretta R. DeHay, General Counsel, has determined that for the first five-year period the amendments and new section are in effect there will be no fiscal implications for the state as a result of enforcing or administering the amendments and new section. There are no anticipated fiscal implications for units of local government. There is no anticipated impact on small businesses, micro businesses or local or state employment as a result of implementing the amendments and new section.

Ms. DeHay also has determined that for each year of the first five years the amendments and new section as proposed are in effect the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing the amendments and new section will be clarification of the renewal requirements for registered timeshare properties. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the proposed amendments and new section.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Loretta R. DeHay, General Counsel, Texas Real Estate Commission, P.O. Box 12188, Austin, Texas 78711-2188.

The amendments and new section are proposed under the Texas Property Code, §221.024, which authorizes the Texas Real Estate Commission to prescribe and publish forms and adopt rules necessary to carry out the provisions of The Texas Timeshare Act.

The statute which is affected by this proposal is the Texas Property Code, Chapter 221. No other statute, code or article is affected by the proposed amendments and new rule.

§543.3.Fees.

(a) - (d) (No change.)

(e) A developer of a registered timeshare plan shall pay a fee of $100 to renew a registration.

(f) To reinstate an expired registration of the timeshare plan, a developer shall pay, in addition to the fee of $100 to renew a timeshare plan, an additional fee of $25 for each month the registration has been expired.

§543.4.Forms.

(a) - (b) (No change.)

(c) The Texas Real Estate Commission adopts by reference Application for Abbreviated Registration of a Timeshare Plan, Form TSR 3-1 [ 3-0 ], approved by the commission in 2006 [ 2005 ]. This document is published by and available from the Texas Real Estate Commission, P.O. Box 12188, Austin, Texas 78711-2188, www.trec.state.tx.us.

(d) - (g) (No change.)

(h) The Texas Real Estate Commission adopts by reference Application to Renew the Registration of a Timeshare Plan, Form TSR 8-0, approved by the Commission in 2006. This document is published by and available from the Texas Real Estate Commission, P.O. Box 12188, Austin, Texas 78711-2188, www.trec.state.tx.us.

(i) [ (h) ] Applicants may reproduce the forms adopted by the commission from printed copies and by computer. With the exception of the changes to the forms which are permitted by this section, the applicant shall reproduce the text of the forms verbatim and the spacing, length of blanks, fonts and placement of text on the page must appear to be substantially similar to that used by the commission in the printed version of the form.

(j) [ (i) ] When using the forms, the applicant must comply with the following:

(1) The applicant may select the type and size of the fonts, provided the fonts are no smaller than those used in the printed version of the form adopted by the commission.

(2) The forms must be printed on letter sized ("8 1/2 by 11") paper.

(3) Whether a form is reproduced by computer or is preprinted by the applicant, the applicant may allocate such space for narrative responses where noted as the applicant deems necessary or may attach additional pages containing narrative responses to the application.

(4) The applicant may renumber the pages of a form to correspond with any changes made necessary due to adjusting the space for narrative responses.

(5) The applicant may not alter the text of a promulgated application form.

§543.12.Renewal of Registration.

(a) If a timeshare plan was registered prior to January 15, 2006, the registration expires on the last day of the month 24 months after its last anniversary date prior to January 15, 2006. For timeshare plans registered on or after January 15, 2006, the registration expires on the last day of the month 24 months after the date the plan was registered.

(b) A developer of a timeshare plan may renew the registration for a 2-year period by completing an Application to Renew the Registration of a Timeshare Plan, Form TSR 8-0, and paying the appropriate filing fee.

(c) Three months prior to the expiration of a registration, the commission shall mail a renewal application form to the developer's last known permanent mail address as shown in the commission's computerized records.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on June 20, 2006.

TRD-200603377

Loretta R. DeHay

General Counsel

Texas Real Estate Commission

Earliest possible date of adoption: August 6, 2006

For further information, please call: (512) 465-3900