Rent-to-own News - Texas withdraws new bedding rules

The Texas Department of State Health Services recently withdrew a slate of rules proposed for used bedding dealers that would have required individual rent-to-own stores to keep extensive transaction records for the lifespan of each mattress in stock and produce that paperwork within a 48 hour time frame.

L to R: Rent-A-Center Lobbyist Brad Shields, Rent-A-Center Associate Counsel Nanette Beaird, Rent-A-Center Senior Counsel Bruce Dean and TARA President Dan Matthews at bedding hearing.

In April, representatives from the Texas Association of Rental Agencies (TARA) spoke in opposition to the proposed rules before the state's bedding division at an Austin hearing, claiming dealers who sanitize fewer than 10 items per business week -- most rent-to-own stores fall well under this threshold -- were exempt from the rules in the enabling 2005 legislation. (Click here for full story.)

The state appears to agree and, according to Rent-A-Center lobbyist Brad Shields, will hold a  series of meetings with TARA and other trade associations over the summer to reach a compromise on any new bedding requirements.

"They want to try to draft a set of rules that will allow them to try to regulate the industry, but not over regulate those who are making a good faith effort to comply with the current law," Shields said. "We're not opposed to some reasonable record keeping, but they wanted every piece of paper associated with the bedding, wanted us to keep it forever and make it available at every store."

Once the input is gathered from TARA and other parties, the new rules must endure a series of meetings inside the health department before they are proposed in the Texas Register, Shields said.

TARA President Dan Matthews said the state's decision to withdraw the rules speaks to the relationship his association has built with the state health department over the years -- a relationship he hopes to continue to cultivate.

"They listened to our concerns and realized the new rule changes could be a burden," Matthews said. "We have a good relationship with them and that's the only reason this came about."

mevans@rtohq.org