System updates will be applied on February 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM. These updates will include changes to the user interface. Work is expected to take approximately 30 minutes to complete, during which the site will be unavailable.
Amend CSHB 11 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is amended by adding Section 17.011 to read as follows:
Sec. 17.011. CHARGES FOR POWER OUTAGES. (a) A billing utility may not include on a customer's telephone or retail electric bill a fee for any amount directly or indirectly related to a power outage due to a mechanical failure of equipment used by the utility.
(b) A billing utility that charges a customer a fee directly or indirectly related to a power outage shall include, on the first page of the customer's telephone or retail electric bill for that billing cycle, in a manner that is conspicuous and set apart from surrounding written material, the amount of the fee accompanied by the words "blackout fees" set in 10-point font or larger and using letters that are boldfaced, capitalized, and underlined.