Texas Utilities Code Title 4, Chapter 186 - Provisions To Ensure The Reliability And Integrity Of Utility Service

SUBCHAPTER A CONTINUITY OF UTILITY SERVICE

• Texas Section 186.001 - Definition
  In this subchapter, "public utility" means and includes a private corporation that does business in this state and has the right of eminent domain, a...
• Texas Section 186.002 - Policy
  (a) Continuous service by a public utility is essential to the life, health, and safety of the public. A person's wilful interruption of that service...
• Texas Section 186.003 - Enforcement By Executive Department
  In accordance with Section 186.002, the governor, and the department of the executive branch of government under the governor's direction, shall exercise all power available...
• Texas Section 186.004 - Unlawful Picketing, Threats, Or Intimidation
  (a) A person may not: (1) picket the plant, premises, or other property of a public utility with intent to disrupt the service of that...
• Texas Section 186.005 - Restraining Order
  (a) A district court shall immediately inquire into the matter if a public utility presents a verified petition to the court: (1) alleging that in...
• Texas Section 186.006 - Employee Rights
  This subchapter does not limit the right of an employee of a public utility to: (1) quit work and leave the employer's premises at any...

SUBCHAPTER B MANIPULATION OF SERVICE FOR CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES

• Texas Section 186.007 - Weather Emergency Preparedness Report
  (a) In this section, "commission" means the Public Utility Commission of Texas. (a-1) The commission shall analyze emergency operations plans developed by electric utilities as...

SUBCHAPTER C FRAUDULENT OBTAINING OF SERVICE

• Texas Section 186.021 - Emergency Involving Hostage Or Armed Suspect
  (a) In an emergency in which the supervising law enforcement official having jurisdiction in the geographical area has probable cause to believe that an armed...
• Texas Section 186.031 - Definitions
  In this subchapter: (1) "Publish" means to communicate information to another by any means. (2) "Telecommunications service" means the transmission of a message or other...
• Texas Section 186.032 - Fraudulently Obtaining Telecommunications Services
  (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) knowing that another will use the published information to avoid payment of a charge for telecommunications service,...

SUBCHAPTER D AVAILABILITY OF EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SERVICE

• Texas Section 186.033 - Disposition Of Certain Equipment
  (a) A peace officer may seize equipment described by Section 186.032(a)(2) under a warrant or incident to a lawful arrest. (b) If the person who...
• Texas Section 186.041 - Definitions
  In this subchapter: (1) "Emergency" means a situation in which property or human life is in jeopardy and the prompt summoning of aid is essential....
• Texas Section 186.042 - Obstruction Of Emergency Telephone Call; Penalty
  (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) the person wilfully refuses to relinquish a party line immediately on being informed that the line is...
• Texas Section 186.043 - Falsification Of Emergency Telephone Call; Penalty
  (a) A person commits an offense if the person secures the use of a party line by falsely stating that the line is needed for...
• Texas Section 186.044 - Notice Of Certain Offenses Required
  (a) A telephone directory distributed to the public in this state that lists the telephone numbers of an exchange located in this state must contain...

SUBCHAPTER E CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES ALONG, OVER, UNDER, OR ACROSS RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY

• Texas Section 186.045 - Failure To Provide Notice; Penalty
  (a) A person providing telephone service commits an offense if the person: (1) distributes copies of a telephone directory subject to Section 186.044(a) from which...
• Texas Section 186.051 - Definitions
  In this subchapter: (1) "Cable operator" means an entity that owns or operates a cable system, as that term is defined by 47 U.S.C. Section...
• Texas Section 186.052 - Exemptions
  (a) The inclusion of an energy transporter or cable operator in this subchapter does not subject the transporter or operator to regulation as a utility...
• Texas Section 186.053 - Applicability
  (a) Except as provided by Section 186.058, this subchapter applies only to facilities along, over, under, or across a railroad or railroad right-of-way in place...
• Texas Section 186.054 - Construction And Maintenance Of Utility, Common Carrier, Cable Operator, And Energy Transporter Facilities
  (a) A utility, common carrier, cable operator, or energy transporter may acquire an easement by eminent domain along, over, under, or across a railroad or...
• Texas Section 186.055 - Documentation Of Rights Acquired
  If a railroad requires a utility, common carrier, cable operator, or energy transporter to obtain from the railroad a right to use a railroad right-of-way,...
• Texas Section 186.056 - Valuation Of Rights Acquired
  (a) In the absence of an agreement to convey a permanent easement for the continued right to use a preexisting facility located in a railroad...
• Texas Section 186.057 - Right To Maintain Facilities
  (a) A utility, common carrier, cable operator, or energy transporter may not be required to remove an existing facility for 180 days after the date...
• Texas Section 186.058 - License And Renewal
  (a) A utility, common carrier, cable operator, or energy transporter may obtain an original license or renew a license for the right to use a...
• Texas Section 186.059 - Restrictions On Payment Of Costs Awarded Against Railroad In Condemnation
  If the special commissioners or a court awards costs against a railroad under Section 21.047, Property Code, because the award of damages to the railroad...
• Texas Section 186.060 - Cumulative Rights And Responsibilities
  The rights, privileges, and responsibilities provided by this subchapter are in addition to and not in diminution of or substitution for those rights granted by...
• Texas Section 186.061 - Effect On Other Law
  This subchapter does not affect the elements a condemnor must establish by law to acquire real property. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1087,...

Last modified: September 28, 2016