Bill > HB1335

This bill amends the Texas Utilities Code to modify regulations surrounding underground facility safety and notification. It broadens the definition of "underground facility" to explicitly include a wide range of services and materials such as telecommunications, electrical energy, natural and synthetic gas, petroleum products, water, sewage, steam, and other materials transported underground. The bill removes references to "Class A underground facilities" throughout the code, effectively applying the regulations more universally to all underground facility operators. Key changes include requiring all underground facility operators (not just those serving over one million residential customers) to provide annual safety information to customers, mandating that operators pay an annual $50 fee to a state corporation, and establishing consistent requirements for operators to participate in notification centers, mark facility locations before excavation, and report any facility damage. The bill also maintains existing provisions about marking underground facilities, reporting damage, and penalizing unauthorized removal or concealment of facility markers. These changes aim to improve underground facility safety and communication across various utility and infrastructure sectors. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1335