The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) adopts on an emergency basis amendments to 22 TAC §537.62, Standard Contract Form TREC No. OP-H, Seller's Disclosure Notice; in Chapter 537, Professional Agreements and Standard Contracts. Texas real estate license holders are generally required to use forms promulgated by TREC when negotiating contacts for the sale of real property, although some forms--like the Seller's Disclosure Notice--are adopted by the Commission for voluntary use by license holders. Contract forms are drafted and recommended for proposal by the Texas Real Estate Broker-Lawyer Committee, an advisory body consisting of six attorneys appointed by the President of the State Bar of Texas, six brokers appointed by TREC, and one public member appointed by the governor. The Texas Real Estate Broker-Lawyer Committee recommended revisions to the contract forms adopted by reference under the amendments adopted on an emergency basis to Chapter 537 to comply with statutory changes enacted by the 88th Legislature in HB 697.

The Seller's Disclosure Notice is updated to comply with the requirements of HB 697, which becomes effective September 1, 2023, and which add a disclosure related to fuel gas piping to the statutorily-required notice.

The identical rule is also being proposed under §2001.023 and §2001.029, Texas Government Code.

The amendments are adopted on an emergency basis under Texas Occupations Code, §1101.151, which authorizes the Texas Real Estate Commission to adopt and enforce rules necessary to administer Chapters 1101 and 1102; and to establish standards of conduct and ethics for its license holders to fulfill the purposes of Chapters 1101 and 1102 and ensure compliance with Chapters 1101 and 1102. The amendments are also adopted on an emergency basis under Texas Occupations Code §1101.155, which allows the Commission to adopt rules in the public's best interest that require license holders to use contract forms prepared by the Broker-Lawyer Committee and adopted by the Commission.

The statute affected by these amendments adopted on an emergency basis is Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1101. No other statute, code or article is affected by the emergency amendments.