Texas Senate Bill SB 426

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 11/21/24

Caption

Relating to a report by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on disconnections of residential retail electric service.

Summary

SB 426 would require the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to create and publish an annual report on residential retail electric service disconnections for nonpayment. The report must be posted on the commission’s website by June 1 each year and then updated at least weekly through September 30 to show the current number of residential customers whose electric service has been disconnected for nonpayment. The bill also authorizes the PUCT to adopt rules requiring electric service providers and other market participants under its jurisdiction to submit the information needed to produce the report. The first report would be due by June 1, 2026, and the act would take effect September 1, 2025.

Impact

SB 426 would add a new reporting requirement to the Utilities Code by creating Section 17.054 in Chapter 17. It does not directly regulate disconnections or change the standards for when service may be terminated; instead, it increases transparency by requiring statewide tracking and public reporting of residential disconnections for nonpayment. The bill could affect retail electric providers, other regulated market participants, and the Public Utility Commission by imposing data collection and reporting obligations.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and its procedural history, the measure appears informational and administrative rather than controversial. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, so there is no evidence of formal support or opposition in the record here. The bill’s purpose suggests a consumer-protection and oversight focus, likely intended to improve visibility into utility shutoffs during the summer months.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the reporting burden on retail electric providers and other market participants, since the PUCT may require them to submit detailed information needed for the report. Another possible issue is whether public reporting of disconnection data could create compliance costs or raise privacy and data-quality concerns. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided materials, so these concerns are inferred from the structure of the bill rather than from recorded debate.