| 2 | 4 | | |
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| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 8 | | relating to a study and report on the Underground Facility Damage |
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| 7 | 9 | | Prevention and Safety Act. |
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| 8 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 11 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. |
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| 10 | 12 | | In this Act: |
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| 11 | 13 | | (1) "Commission" means the Railroad Commission of |
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| 12 | 14 | | Texas. |
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| 13 | 15 | | (2) "Board" means the board of directors of the Texas |
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| 14 | 16 | | Underground Facility Notification Corporation under Section |
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| 15 | 17 | | 251.055, Utilities Code. |
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| 16 | 18 | | SECTION 2. STUDY AND REPORT REGARDING THE UNDERGROUND |
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| 17 | 19 | | FACILITY DAMAGE PREVENTION AND SAFETY ACT. |
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| 18 | 20 | | (a) In collaboration with the board, the commission shall |
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| 19 | 21 | | conduct a study to assess the effectiveness of the state's system of |
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| 20 | 22 | | underground facility damage prevention and safety. |
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| 21 | 23 | | (b) The study must: |
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| 22 | 24 | | (1) identify and examine the leading causes of |
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| 23 | 25 | | underground utility damage in Texas; |
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| 24 | 26 | | (2) examine whether sufficient resources for locating |
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| 25 | 27 | | and marking utility facilities exist in the state, and recommend |
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| 26 | 28 | | possible solutions to address the issues; |
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| 27 | 29 | | (3) identify and examine best practices across the |
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| 28 | 30 | | country from public and private institutions to reduce the risk of |
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| 29 | 31 | | damages to underground facilities and minimize waste; and |
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| 30 | 32 | | (4) identify methods to improve communication, |
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| 31 | 33 | | processes and safety standards. |
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| 32 | 34 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2027, the commission shall |
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| 33 | 35 | | submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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| 34 | 36 | | house of representatives, and the commissioners of the Railroad |
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| 35 | 37 | | Commission of Texas a written report that includes the study's |
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| 36 | 38 | | findings and any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
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| 37 | 39 | | (d) This section expires January 1, 2028. |
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| 38 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 41 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 42 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 43 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 44 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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