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TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
TITLE 25. HEALTH SERVICES
PART 1. DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 295. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
SUBCHAPTER J. TEXAS MOLD ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION RULES
Date:
08/31/2009
Document:
25 TAC § 295.325 (2011)
§ 295.325. Notifications
(a) General provision. A mold remediation contractor or company shall notify the department of a mold remediation, as defined in § 295.302(28) of this title (relating to Definitions), when mold contamination affects a total surface area of 25 contiguous square feet or more. Notification shall be received by the Department of State Health Services, Environmental Health Notifications Group no less than five working days (not calendar days) prior to the anticipated start date of the mold remediation and shall be submitted by United States Postal Service, commercial delivery service, hand-delivery, electronic mail (e-mail), or facsimile on a form specified by the department and available on its website. The form must be filled out completely and properly. Blanks that do not apply shall be marked "N/A". The "N/A" designation will not be accepted for identification of the work site, building description, building owner, individuals required to be identified on the notification form, start- and stop-dates, or scheduled hours of mold remediation. A signature of the responsible person is required on each notification form. The contractor or company shall retain a confirmation that the department received the notification.
(b) Start-date change to later date. When mold remediation activity is rescheduled to start later than the date or hours contained in the most recent notice, the regional office of the department shall be notified by telephone as soon as possible but prior to the start-date on the most recent notice. A written amended notification is required immediately following the telephone notification and shall be e-mailed, faxed or overnight mailed to the Environmental Health Notifications Group within the Inspection Unit, Environmental and Consumer Safety Section of the department.
(c) Start-date change to earlier date. When mold remediation activities begin on a date earlier than the date contained in the notice, the department shall be provided with written notice of the new start-date at least five working days before the start of work unless the provisions of subsection (e) of this section apply. The licensee shall confirm with the department by phone that the notice is received five working days before the start of work.
(d) Start-date/stop-date (completion date) requirement. In no event shall mold remediation begin or be completed on a date other than the date contained in the written notice except for operations covered under subsection (e) of this section. Amendments to start-date changes must be submitted as required in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. An amendment is required for any stop-dates that change by more than one workday. The contractor or company shall provide schedule changes to the department no less than 24 hours prior to the most recent stop-date or the new stop-date, whichever comes first. Changes less than five days in advance shall be confirmed with the appropriate department regional office by telephone, facsimile, or e-mail and followed up in writing to the department's central office at 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas, 78756.
(e) Provision for emergency. In an emergency, notification to the department shall be made as soon as practicable but not later than the following business day after the license holder identifies the emergency. Initial notification shall be made to the department's central office either immediately by telephone, followed by formal notification on the department's notification form, or immediately by facsimile on the department's notification form. The contractor or company shall retain a confirmation that the notification was received by the department. Emergencies shall be documented. An emergency exists if a delay in mold remediation services in response to a water damage occurrence would increase mold contamination.
(f) Notification fees.
(1) For each initial notification of a mold remediation project, the mold remediation contractor or company shall remit to the department a fee of $ 100, except that the fee shall be $ 25 for a remediation project in an owner-occupied residential dwelling unit. Amendments to a notification shall not require a separate fee.
(2) The department shall send an invoice for the required fee to the contractor or company after the department has received the notification. Payment must be remitted in the manner instructed on the invoice no later than 60 working days following the date on the notification invoice. Failure to pay the required fee after an invoice has been sent is a violation, and the department may seek administrative penalties as listed in § 295.331 of this title (relating to Compliance: Administrative Penalty).
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