| 1 | 1 | | By: Hughes S.B. No. 2375 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to safety and inspection reporting requirements for |
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| 7 | 7 | | certain utilities. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Utilities Code, is amended by adding |
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| 10 | 10 | | Section 38.102 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 38.102. REPORT ON SAFETY PROCESSES AND INSPECTION. |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) Not later than May 1, 2020 each utility owning or operating |
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| 13 | 13 | | transmission or distribution assets shall complete a report, as |
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| 14 | 14 | | prescribed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which |
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| 15 | 15 | | includes, but is not limited to the following: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) a summary description of the utility's hazard |
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| 17 | 17 | | recognition training program(s) for transmission and distribution |
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| 18 | 18 | | facilities provided by the utility to its employees and |
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| 19 | 19 | | contractors; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) a summary description of the training programs provided |
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| 21 | 21 | | by the utility to its employees and contractors related to the |
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| 22 | 22 | | National Electric Safety Code and United States Corps of Engineers |
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| 23 | 23 | | regulations and design requirements for the construction of |
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| 24 | 24 | | electric transmission and distribution lines. |
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| 25 | 25 | | A utility is required to update this report within 30 |
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| 26 | 26 | | days of finalizing a change to any of the programs or |
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| 27 | 27 | | plans described in (1) or (2). |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) Not later than May 1st of each year, beginning on May 1, 2020, |
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| 29 | 29 | | each utility owning or operating transmission or distribution |
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| 30 | 30 | | assets shall complete a report, as prescribed by the Public Utility |
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| 31 | 31 | | Commission of Texas, which includes, but is not limited to the |
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| 32 | 32 | | following: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) percentage of transmission and/or distribution system |
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| 34 | 34 | | or assets inspected in the prior calendar year; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) percentage of transmission and/or distribution system |
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| 36 | 36 | | anticipated to by inspected in the current calendar year; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) number of incidents reported by employees or the public |
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| 38 | 38 | | regarding transmission or distribution assets that are not in |
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| 39 | 39 | | compliance with the National Electric Safety Code, in whatever |
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| 40 | 40 | | manner they are reported; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) if the utility is aware of any portion of its |
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| 42 | 42 | | transmission or distribution system that is not in compliance with |
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| 43 | 43 | | the National Electric Safety Code; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (5) if the utility is aware of a violation of any easement |
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| 45 | 45 | | agreements, including but not limited to easement agreements with |
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| 46 | 46 | | the Army Corps of Engineers; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (6) the number of fatalities or injuries resulting from |
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| 48 | 48 | | transmission or distribution assets that are out of compliance with |
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| 49 | 49 | | the National Electric Safety Code or any easement agreement. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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