[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6226350,"mediaKeyId","3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3","parentId",3511750,"title","Senate approves bill allowing gas utilities to defer certain costs for new infrastructure pending Railroad Commission review","audioSeconds",245,"startMs",6441000,"endMs",6686000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3&start=6441&end=6686","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3/thumbnail_6441000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6226350/Texas/Senate-approves-bill-allowing-gas-utilities-to-defer-certain-costs-for-new-infrastructure-pending-Railroad-Commission-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226350-4265f345dfe149057b9da2b73d1561ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544747&Signature=XuNHXee-cN~cmCLtSShv0RmEN9s3u1MaKPMvhlLnPhDPjyJFqx1rovIemZsj6L8bMn73Xyt2riH8uOiYT5zbCdLKL~eyBt9arjFVq~m3W5iZwo4IHBwL6VaYaeFXYO-ZaInNl9Ok~wck-6DM2tly~ym3mHd5wHS6B1QZWHikYBuqKT5lCNxK2rLgcAVTgK7dzyQtL8uvddMFrm4SX3CEdTr~zZKBvLexd1U6KaL9v1i2mIEOcMLcGoW4ISMz2lMFTYknC-r8VcaOAeV7KCMGneFjV9sknNRcVntfPUCd6oDP4t5FxMk3LF~m5BTNspu~rs6kPbbHgIbfgXY~3Z~tHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","article","AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate on Monday concurred in House amendments to House Bill 43 84, a bill aimed at reducing regulatory lag for gas utilities by allowing them to defer certain unrecovered costs for new infrastructure and recover those costs later after Railroad Commission review.

Senator Birdwell, the bill’s floor mover, told the Senate the legislation addresses delays that can stretch 18 to 20 months between when a utility places infrastructure in service and when the cost can be included in customer rates. \"HB 43 84 provides a solution by allowing gas utilities to temporarily defer certain unrecovered costs, specifically the post in service carrying costs, depreciation, and property taxes as a regulatory asset for newly placed in service infrastructure that has not yet, been included in the rates,\" he said.

Following stakeholder feedback, Birdwell offered and the floor adopted an amendment that removes compound-interest language and makes the allowable interest simple interest—matching existing practice for replacement pipe treatment—and extended the Railroad Commission’s rulemaking deadline to 270 days after the law’s effective date. The measure preserves Railroad Commission oversight by requiring full review of deferred costs in a future rate proceeding; disallowed amounts must be refunded to ratepayers with interest.

The Senate recorded the concurrence and final passage votes after roll-call and rule-suspension procedures; earlier roll-call entries show the third-reading passage and final passage with two recorded nays on final passage.

Discussion versus action

The floor discussion focused on balancing utility financing needs to maintain and upgrade infrastructure with ratepayer protections and regulatory oversight. The amendment switching to simple interest and lengthening the rulemaking window was explicitly described as addressing stakeholder concerns and aligning the bill with current regulatory practice.

What happens next

With the concurrence and final passage recorded, the bill will proceed to enrollment. The Railroad Commission will be responsible for subsequent rulemaking and for reviewing deferred costs during future rate proceedings; the bill as amended requires the agency to issue rules within an extended timeline and preserves the agency’s authority to disallow costs that would then be refunded to customers with interest.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Session (Part I) May 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate concurred in House amendments to House Bill 43 84, allowing gas utilities to defer unrecovered costs for newly placed infrastructure (carrying costs, depreciation, property taxes) as regulatory assets subject to later Railroad Commission review; the amendment sets simple interest rather than compound interest.","taxTitle","Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16215,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6226355,"Senate approves bill elevating penalties when offenders wear metal or body armor during certain felony offenses",171,5216000,5387000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3&start=5216&end=5387","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3/thumbnail_5216000.jpg","/articles/6226355/Texas/Senate-approves-bill-elevating-penalties-when-offenders-wear-metal-or-body-armor-during-certain-felony-offenses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226355-30e7e3687af9c7c5f806f97829a38308/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544748&Signature=kmbpV0LRqolSdJhLG4UUQEybFg-wQwyWYyzsAVteXZxuCrvfh7J0nN7fVUNKRwczbiSxs~O5nwdplotTDsjoA6~UestbrHsvHaEMXzkIHh7fm8gkeEgO3g9yFSMPEKFfDj-xbQ5Z-Vx8Utpbtpu9OZoEH1BiV1HQno--UODnjsctvnBDNvzFh76xay0UjM8WsmSXliuzaaY-YQ3m4~oOIScz4DNtr-0FKoU8qGe4SO-wHP9MzjUYaFyHZwYZFJZphcmxoyLaEfD4EkQhfCd2Kw76YjnGrjqXt08DDtrUcwR7~1zdji384l8O-nD4DKqKDKcUg3J~NpGZWMnhX1EkBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","AUSTIN, Texas — The Senate on Monday approved House Bill 108, a measure that increases the penalty classification for certain offenses when the offender is found to have used metal or body armor while committing those crimes.

Senator Hinojosa, the floor mover, said the bill preserves lawful ownership of body armor by civilians while targeting “those who exploit this legal protection during the commission of violent crimes.” On the floor, Hinojosa described the bill’s core mechanism: “House Bill 108 establishes an affirmative binding process for the use of metal or body armor ... mandating an automatic elevation of the offense to the next highest penalty classification upon conviction.”

The sponsor told colleagues the measure does not bar law-abiding Texans from owning or purchasing body armor but strengthens consequences for misuse that endangers public safety, adding it would address incidents in which assailants used protective gear to resist law enforcement or inflict greater harm. The floor sequence included the steps to suspend Senate rules to expedite the measure and culminated in a final passage vote; the transcript records the bill as finally passed after the roll-call sequence.

Discussion versus action

The transcript records floor explanation and the sponsor’s framing of the bill as focused on public safety and accountability for violent criminals who wear protective gear during the commission of felony offenses. The record shows procedural motions to suspend rules and final passage votes; the transcript does not include extended debate on constitutional challenges or enforcement logistics.

What happens next

With final passage recorded on the Senate floor, the bill will proceed through enrollment and transmittal to the governor. The transcript does not provide an effective date or specify changes to sentencing guidelines beyond elevating an offense to the next-higher penalty classification on conviction when the statute’s conditions are met.","House Bill 108, which the Senate passed after suspending rules, creates mandatory elevation of penalty classification when a defendant is convicted of committing certain felonies while wearing metal or body armor; sponsors said the measure targets misuse of body armor during violent crimes, not lawful ownership.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6226359,"Senate concurs with House to create grid-security commission, require biannual tabletop exercises with PUC and ERCOT",376,1789000,2165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3&start=1789&end=2165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3/thumbnail_1789000.jpg","/articles/6226359/Texas/Senate-concurs-with-House-to-create-grid-security-commission-require-biannual-tabletop-exercises-with-PUC-and-ERCOT","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226359-612d4d24884ab6c42ea1a03d2ce07b3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544748&Signature=Hcj4oWXgbtig4k6epk6Hkxm8dSbR1eQSvOf3~tCsWG8MvJobl9Nb4ZJFnKdNnAKtDQJ51r0QOOKwbxgxzrh7BOgKXt1a05B-bTp2r5pVBPZWbIZIT4zxbV6KiVV2pHa3P4~Ks4qsU6R-Ry8Gmm~xy4TIs9e5FS7VHjO~VY3F3~WxRN3-cvC1rgLHFaBK-7~ZRPB84iSVFp5nUNmnVLpnQwRcIm8ciIVISBkCW6XF3mp~LX3G-k6Bdzq~-ESF27Sy26VG7T~TXXzx~SeJ5ZvfOn4RSehoQL4bMcR-StuhRadem-h15heSQ6yMC7MVGOWyWzPDBCIJwCSP3qEVYEKc4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate on Monday concurred in House amendments to a bill creating a state commission to bolster electric-grid resilience and required regular tabletop exercises among regulators and industry to prepare for physical threats to critical infrastructure.

On the Senate floor, Senator Hall — the bill’s floor sponsor — said the measure (Senate Bill 75) and an amendment incorporating language from Senate Bill 2,148 direct the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to “conduct a tabletop exercise twice a year with electric generation, transmission and distribution services in the [power] region to mitigate and prepare for a threat or actual physical attack on a critical facility.” The amendment also requires clearly identified roles and responsibilities for service providers, generators and law enforcement during those scenarios.

Senator Hall described the package as “a comprehensive strategy to bolster the resilience of our electric grid,” noting it has been under development for more than a decade. Several senators rose to praise the legislation on the floor during the concurrence sequence, including comments recognizing long-term efforts to harden the grid and the bill’s unanimous passage in earlier stages.

The Senate recorded the concurrence vote as 31 ayes and 0 nays. By concurring, the chamber accepted the House’s edits so the measure can proceed toward final enrollment and transmittal.

Discussion versus decision

Senator Hall framed the bill as both a commission-creation measure and an operational requirement for regulators and industry. Floor remarks highlighted the addition of required exercises and clarified that the changes were designed to identify roles and responsibilities among entities including ERCOT and the PUC. The transcript records praise and personal recollections of a long legislative effort, but does not show extended debate about costs, statutory authority, or implementation timelines beyond the floor sponsor’s explanation.

What happens next

The House amendments were concurred in on the floor; the bill will proceed through enrollment and final procedural steps before transmission to the governor. Implementation duties—such as scheduling exercises and defining specific roles—will fall to the Public Utility Commission, ERCOT and the entities referenced in the bill.","The Senate on May 26 agreed to House amendments to a bill establishing a state commission focused on grid resilience and added requirements for tabletop exercises with the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to prepare for physical attacks on critical energy infrastructure.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6226364,"Senate concurs with House on bill criminalizing obscene images depicting minors, including AI-generated depictions",58,867000,925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3&start=867&end=925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511750-52f0cdea30cbdfa28090174800163ef3/thumbnail_867000.jpg","/articles/6226364/Texas/Senate-concurs-with-House-on-bill-criminalizing-obscene-images-depicting-minors-including-AI-generated-depictions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226364-2f93f91913d6a0803c88613154010811/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544748&Signature=EPs~ndQhLZpD-LWOeY8BpRWMSZKes20X0zS4755ts40kwO7nbVnMIwZQFvk9jow7LHrgmyOFUPEbrur1jzOaQzS-xAEdIX3V6PfJzCo5pCpP3htEIj~Gf9Ml2uoST~KsffxE--5yBy2la8l50rykGi6f26PKLqbxyjkrKMOZt~jamf3inpYpXp8HImkDW27KsamjmajqtVHakcR4VomgmF-DC2kVgDdk7RqJgx-uUlBXcEmlvk9ksUlvBrU4MB1Sm1vfPyfhWSZ2L6gdNm-tXdqdVXrlQz27O9udxHMxkTVouRDYyvAmB2K3nx2zM6wV~5QgvZBRK-On14AxEIk1wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate on Monday moved to concur in House amendments to Senate Bill 20, a measure creating a new criminal offense for possession or promotion of obscene visual material that appears to depict a child and covering depictions made with animation or artificial intelligence. Senator Flores moved the concurrence; the motion carried and the Senate adopted the house amendments.

The bill “creates a new criminal offense for the possession or promotion of obscene visual material that appears to depict a child,” Senator Flores said on the floor, adding the measure “specifically targets visual depictions of minors and obscene activities regardless of whether the depiction is of an actual child, cartoon animation, or an image created using artificial intelligence or other computer software.”

A House amendment the Senate concurred in bars using an image of an actual child younger than 18 to train an AI model to produce material that would meet the bill’s definition of prohibited imagery, a change Flores credited to Representative Capric Leone. Flores described that amendment as closing “an additional loophole” and said it strengthened the bill.

The Senate’s concurrence was approved by voice and roll call in a largely unanimous action; the clerk recorded 31 ayes and 0 nays on the concurrence motion. The procedural motion means the chamber agreed to the House’s edits so SB 20 can proceed to enrollment and, ultimately, to final passage procedures.

Discussion versus action

Senator Flores’ remarks on the Senate floor were the primary substantive discussion recorded in the transcript: he described the scope of the new offense, how it would apply to depictions produced with software or AI, and the specific amendment added in the House. The transcript does not record additional floor debate on constitutional or enforcement issues during the concurrence vote.

What happens next

By concurring in the House amendments, the Senate sent the modified bill on the standard path toward final enactment (enrollment and transmission to the governor) if it clears remaining procedural steps. The transcript records the concurrence vote; it does not record final signature or effective date language for the underlying statute.","The Texas Senate on May 26 concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 20, creating a new criminal offense aimed at possession or promotion of obscene visual material that appears to depict a minor, and adding an amendment barring use of images of children to train AI models for such imagery.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate approves bill allowing gas utilities to defer certain costs for new infrastructure pending Railroad Commission review

Senate approves bill elevating penalties when offenders wear metal or body armor during certain felony offenses

Senate concurs with House to create grid-security commission, require biannual tabletop exercises with PUC and ERCOT

Senate concurs with House on bill criminalizing obscene images depicting minors, including AI-generated depictions