HB 4272
Patterson Bill Makes Cities Pay To Move Phone Lines
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Carve-out
The bill moves the cost of relocating lines from telecom utilities and cable franchise holders onto cities. That is a favor to one industry, and the caption, which only speaks of "relocation or adjustment of certain facilities," does not mention who pays.
Carve-outReviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to the relocation or adjustment of certain facilities for certain municipal projects.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Before, the phone utility paid. Now it’s city right-of-way fees, for cable lines too.
The bill makes cities pay to move telephone and cable lines that sit in city streets when the city widens or straightens a road. Before this change, the phone utility paid. Now the city pays out of the right-of-way fees it collects, and cable franchise holders also get city-paid moves for any other city project. Telecom and cable companies stop paying these moving costs, and city budgets pick them up starting September 1, 2025, with the same 30-day notice.
Labels
Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House State Affairs subcommittee on Telecommunications & Broadband on May 9, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB4272 · 2025-03-10
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the relocation or adjustment of certain facilities for certain municipal projects.
WHAT IT DOES
Before, the phone utility paid. Now it’s city right-of-way fees, for cable lines too.
The bill makes cities pay to move telephone and cable lines that sit in city streets when the city widens or straightens a road. Before this change, the phone utility paid. Now the city pays out of the right-of-way fees it collects, and cable franchise holders also get city-paid moves for any other city project. Telecom and cable companies stop paying these moving costs, and city budgets pick them up starting September 1, 2025, with the same 30-day notice.
CHARGES
[x] CARVE-OUTanalysis confidence 50%
The bill moves the cost of relocating lines from telecom utilities and cable franchise holders onto cities. That is a favor to one industry, and the caption, which only speaks of "relocation or adjustment of certain facilities," does not mention who pays.
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 2025
No first-year general revenue figure available here.
LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.
Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to s/c on Telecommunications & Broadband by Speaker
- Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
- Considered by s/c in public hearing
- Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
- Left pending in subcommittee
- Considered by s/c in formal meeting
- Committee substitute considered in s/c
- Left pending in subcommittee
FILED UNDER
THE TEXT
…“expense to permit the widening or straightening of a street or to”…
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The bill makes city money pay for moving cable franchise holders' equipment for street work and other city projects, a cost those companies carried before.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$132,750.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$132,750.00
- Cash
- $100,000.00
- Paid by others
- $32,750.00
- Total
- $132,750.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 7, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100996442, 101018590, 101035748, 101067950, 101072483.
Texas Sands PAC$84,800.00
Texas Sands PAC
$84,800.00
- Cash
- $68,000.00
- Paid by others
- $16,800.00
- Total
- $84,800.00
Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 4, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100976997, 101018590, 101035748, 101072483.
Texas Conservative Majority PAC$57,950.00
Texas Conservative Majority PAC
$57,950.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $57,950.00
- Total
- $57,950.00
Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Feb 12, 2026 to Sep 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101035748, 101067950.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$132,750.00
- Cash
- $100,000.00
- Paid by others
- $32,750.00
- Total
- $132,750.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 7, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100996442, 101018590, 101035748, 101067950, 101072483.
Texas Sands PAC
$84,800.00
- Cash
- $68,000.00
- Paid by others
- $16,800.00
- Total
- $84,800.00
Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 4, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100976997, 101018590, 101035748, 101072483.
Texas Conservative Majority PAC
$57,950.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $57,950.00
- Total
- $57,950.00
Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Feb 12, 2026 to Sep 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101035748, 101067950.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 2025
No first-year general revenue figure available here.
LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.
Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas House · Filed Mar 10, 2025
05/09/2025 H Left pending in subcommittee
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:54 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee
Companion
SB 2015 by Bettencourt (identical)
Subjects
City Government--General
Utilities--Telecommunications
Text
The text as introduced · 234 words
2025S0181-1 03/06/25 By: Patterson H.B. No. 4272 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the relocation or adjustment of certain facilities for certain municipal projects. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 54.203(c), Utilities Code, is amended to read as follows: (c) The governing body of a municipality may require a certificated telecommunications utility to relocate the utility's facility in a municipal public right-of-way at the municipality's [ utility's ] expense from their collected right-of-way fees as described by Section 283.051, Local Government Code, to permit the widening or straightening of a street by: (1) giving the utility notice at least 30 days before the date relocation is required [ 30 days' notice ]; and (2) specifying the new location for the facility along the right-of-way of the street. SECTION 2. Section 66.011, Utilities Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows: (d-1) A municipality may require a holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority to relocate the holder's facility in a municipal public right-of-way at the municipality's expense to permit the widening or straightening of a street or to accommodate another municipal project by: (1) giving the holder notice at least 30 days before the date relocation is required; and (2) specifying the new location for the facility along the right-of-way. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.