An amendment to the Harris County Fire Code requiring nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have backup power systems went into effect Jan. 1.

All 120 nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Harris County will have to have a permanent, on-site generator due to a new law.

Under a new fire code, the roughly 120 assisted living and nursing facilities located in unincorporated Harris County will have until Jan. 1, 2026 to add emergency backup power systems, county leaders announced during a Jan.

Harris County has mandated backup power generation for nursing homes and assisted living facilities to protect vulnerable seniors during power outages.