Support HB67 to help save little lives

It is Now Law!

On June 18, 2021, Governor Greg Abbot signed SB1588 (which contained the language of HB67) into law. This means that, beginning in Septmeber, HOAs and POAs in Texas can no longer tell homeowners they cannot install a pool safety fence. In addition, though they can dictate some things such as colors and limit decorations, they cannot put in so many requirements that a homeowner could not put in a safety fence!

Thanks to Rep. Toth and his staff for introducing this bill, and walking it through all the committees and Senate procedures.

Special thanks to Sara Jo Soldovieri for guiding us through this process. Also, to Jamie Corbett and Debbie Orsak for testifying with us at the Capitol. Thank you to Andrea Collins for bringing this issue to our awareness in the first place and for starting the ball rolling and to the many people who cheered us on and waited in the wings to step in if one of us couldn’t be there.

And special thanks to Trent Williams, who was instrumental in finding a way to move forward, even when it seemed that it wasn’t going to happen.

Finally, thanks to all of our supporters who prayed, wrote and called their legislators in support of this important law.

This is a great victory!

Legislative Update – Victory!

The Judah Brown Drowning Prevention Act gives property owners the ability to install pool safety fences without hindrance from HOAs and it is being passed! We just want to thank Representative Steve Toth of Texas, for listening to us and acting to give property owners the ability to protect their children from drowning, by putting a pool fence around their pool. After final approval in the Senate (expected this week), it will go to the governor for his signature.

We would like to thank Representative Steve Toth for listening to us and acting to give property owners the ability to protect their children from drowning, by putting a pool fence around their pool. This is great news for Texas!

Community action points:

Contact your state Rep!! 

• If possible please request a face to face meeting with your rep and let us know when and where these meetings will take place so that Rep Toth can attend as many of them as possible.

• Tell your personal story to your rep!

• Tell your rep what the bill is about.

• Tell them why pool fences are important and why they shouldn’t be blocked by HOA’s.

• Ask your Rep. to help with co-authoring the bill.

• Ask your rep to advocate to allow constituents to attend face to face during the sessions (They are currently closed to constituents but not to lobbyists-make sure they know this isn’t fair).

Look up your state representative at this link:

https://house.texas.gov/members/find-your-representative/

Stats people can use when discussing HB67 with their Representatives:

Drowning is the number 1 cause of death for children ages 1-4 and number 3 for 5-19. (CDC, AAP)

Texas is one of the top four states in the US for child fatal drownings each year. 

In children ages 1-5, drowning by swimming pool is most common. (CDC)

Children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rates-most (80%) occur in swimming pools and not necessarily at their own home. (CDC)

A four-sided safety isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child’s risk of drowning by 88%. (CDC)

Most drownings happen in environments and during activities unsupervised by lifeguards.(WHO)

Text of HB67 can be found here:

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=87R&Bill=HB67