Texas Statutes
Subchapter B. Municipal Health and Safety Ordinances
Section 54.012. Civil Action

Sec. 54.012. CIVIL ACTION. A municipality may bring a civil action for the enforcement of an ordinance:
(1) for the preservation of public safety, relating to the materials or methods used to construct a building or other structure or improvement, including the foundation, structural elements, electrical wiring or apparatus, plumbing and fixtures, entrances, or exits;
(2) relating to the preservation of public health or to the fire safety of a building or other structure or improvement, including provisions relating to materials, types of construction or design, interior configuration, illumination, warning devices, sprinklers or other fire suppression devices, availability of water supply for extinguishing fires, or location, design, or width of entrances or exits;
(3) for zoning that provides for the use of land or classifies a parcel of land according to the municipality's district classification scheme;
(4) establishing criteria for land subdivision or construction of buildings, including provisions relating to street width and design, lot size, building width or elevation, setback requirements, or utility service specifications or requirements;
(5) implementing civil penalties under this subchapter for conduct classified by statute as a Class C misdemeanor;
(6) relating to dangerously damaged or deteriorated structures or improvements;
(7) relating to conditions caused by accumulations of refuse, vegetation, or other matter that creates breeding and living places for insects and rodents;
(8) relating to the interior configuration, design, illumination, or visibility of business premises exhibiting for viewing by customers while on the premises live or mechanically or electronically displayed entertainment intended to provide sexual stimulation or sexual gratification;
(9) relating to point source effluent limitations or the discharge of a pollutant, other than from a non-point source, into a sewer system, including a sanitary or storm water sewer system, owned or controlled by the municipality;
(10) relating to floodplain control and administration, including an ordinance regulating the placement of a structure, fill, or other materials in a designated floodplain;
(11) relating to animal care and control; or
(12) relating to water conservation measures, including watering restrictions.
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 343, Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 753, Sec. 3, eff. June 16, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 472, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 135 (S.B. 654), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1396 (H.B. 1554), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.
Reenacted and amended by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1236 (S.B. 1296), Sec. 12.001, eff. September 1, 2015.