North Austin News

Sen. Charles Schwertner introduced SB 1876, a bill on Utilities, to the Texas Senate on Monday, March 17 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to retain assistance for regional proceedings affecting certain electric utilities and consumers’’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

This bill permits the Public Utility Commission of Texas to hire consultants and other professionals necessary to represent the commission in proceedings with regional transmission organizations or in court. These professionals can provide various forms of assistance, such as conducting studies, presenting evidence, advising, or directly representing the commission. The costs of these services, capped at $1.5 million annually, will be covered by the electric utility involved in the proceedings. The utility can recover these costs, including carrying charges, through a commission-approved rider. The bill mandates consultation with the attorney general for hiring consultants and prohibits engagement with individuals required to register under certain government codes. The act will take immediate effect with appropriate legislative support or otherwise on Sept. 1, 2025.

Charles Schwertner, chair of the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce and member of the Senate Committee on State Affairs, proposed another 26 bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Schwertner graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS.

Charles Schwertner is currently serving in the Texas State Senate, representing the state's 5th Senate district. He replaced previous state senator Steve Ogden in 2013.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB 2025	03/17/2025	Relating to risk mitigation planning and associated liability for providers of electric service
SB 1945	03/17/2025	Relating to the eligibility of certain individuals younger than 65 years of age to purchase Medicare supplement benefit plans
SB 1889	03/17/2025	Relating to vision screenings for students in public or private school, including vision screening information reporting for public school students and the creation of a matching grant program for visual devices for certain students
SB 1881	03/17/2025	Relating to the use of political contributions by the secretary of state to maintain a residence in Travis County
SB 1880	03/17/2025	Relating to the creation of an additional judicial district in Williamson County
SB 2872	03/14/2025	Relating to connection reservation contracts
SB 1826	03/13/2025	Relating to career and technology education programs in public schools and the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, including funding for those programs under the Foundation School Program, and to the new instructional facility allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the Foundation School Program
SB 1665	03/11/2025	Relating to a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the feasibility of constructing certain extra high voltage transmission lines
SB 1586	03/10/2025	Relating to the issuance by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of permits for certain wastewater treatment facilities
SB 1560	03/06/2025	Relating to the submission to the legislature of financial information of an independent organization certified for a power region
SB 1518	03/06/2025	Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects
SB 1517	03/06/2025	Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to receive certain tax revenue derived from a hotel and convention center project and to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of obligations related to the project
SB 1496	03/06/2025	Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to receive certain tax revenue derived from a hotel and convention center project and to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of obligations related to the project
SB 1290	02/28/2025	Relating to requiring backup generation at certain wastewater treatment facilities
SB 1272	02/28/2025	Relating to the punishment for the criminal offense of attempted capital murder of a peace officer; increasing a criminal penalty; changing eligibility for parole and mandatory supervision
SB 1117	02/24/2025	Relating to the administration of botulinum toxin by dentists
SB 859	02/13/2025	Relating to authorization and reimbursement for certain examination fee subsidies paid for public school teachers and students
SB 858	02/13/2025	Relating to certain criminal offenses involving the attachment or display of a wrong license plate or registration insignia; increasing criminal penalties
SB 778	02/07/2025	Relating to the establishment and administration of the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve; making an appropriation
SB 743	02/07/2025	Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to establish and operate a guaranteed income program
SB 742	02/07/2025	Relating to the adequacy and effectiveness of managed care plan networks
SB 658	02/03/2025	Relating to agreements between sheriffs and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce federal immigration law
SB 622	02/03/2025	Relating to the definition of emergency care for purposes of certain health benefit plans
SB 551	02/03/2025	Relating to selection of statewide competition locations by the University Interscholastic League
SB 386	02/03/2025	Relating to the jurisdiction of certain international organizations
SB 369	02/03/2025	Relating to an appraisal procedure for disputed losses under personal automobile insurance policies