Monitoring the Session

HB 842

Lalani Bill Studies Burying Gulf Coast Power Lines

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed
Rep. Suleman LalaniDHouse 76
Why it's charged
Study, task force, commission, report

THE TEXT

“The commission shall submit a report of the results of the study and any recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives not later than September 1, 2026.”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The only duty in the bill is a study and a report due in 2026, so any action on burying lines waits for a later legislature. The caption says plainly that this is a study bill.

Study, task force, commission, report

Reviewed · 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 a study and report on burying power lines in the Gulf Coast region.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Report due September 1, 2026. Nothing buried, funded or required. Act expires October 31.

The bill orders the Public Utility Commission of Texas to study the cost of burying power lines within 150 miles of the Gulf Coast. The study must weigh burial and upkeep costs against savings from fewer storm outages, and report to state leaders by September 1, 2026. Nothing is buried, funded or required of any utility, and the whole Act expires October 31, 2026.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 1 Republican, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 13, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB842 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Suleman LalaniDHouse 76 Rep. Todd HunterRHouse 32

ITEM

relating to a study and report on burying power lines in the Gulf Coast region.

WHAT IT DOES

Report due September 1, 2026. Nothing buried, funded or required. Act expires October 31.

The bill orders the Public Utility Commission of Texas to study the cost of burying power lines within 150 miles of the Gulf Coast. The study must weigh burial and upkeep costs against savings from fewer storm outages, and report to state leaders by September 1, 2026. Nothing is buried, funded or required of any utility, and the whole Act expires October 31, 2026.

CHARGES

[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

“The commission shall submit a report of the results of the study and any recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives not later than September 1, 2026.”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The only duty in the bill is a study and a report due in 2026, so any action on burying lines waits for a later legislature. The caption says plainly that this is a study bill.

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($1,000,000)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version I · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 22, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB842, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,000,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($1,000,000)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to State Affairs
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in public hearing
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Placed on General State Calendar
  15. Read 2nd time
  16. Passed to engrossment
  17. Record vote RV#2235
  18. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote RV#2300
  22. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the House
FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

“cost savings associated with reduced weather-related power outages”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill has the utility regulator weigh the cost of making the coastal grid more storm-resistant against outage savings, without deciding who pays.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 76 yea · 65 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 13, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Suleman Lalani

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$38KTexas House Democratic Campaign Committee$12KTSA PAC$10K

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 24, 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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$37,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$37,500.00

Cash
$37,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$37,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Aug 31, 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: 100987680, 101007262, 101030846, 101036309, 101069420.

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee$11,569.08

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee

$11,569.08

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$4,569.08
Total
$11,569.08
Other filed descriptions $4,569.08

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 3, 2026 to Jun 2, 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: 101040256, 101061992.

TSA PAC$10,000.00

TSA PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 15 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 1, 2024 to Oct 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 23, 2025 to Oct 10, 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: 101030846, 101072241.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$37,500.00

Cash
$37,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$37,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Aug 31, 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: 100987680, 101007262, 101030846, 101036309, 101069420.

×

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee

$11,569.08

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$4,569.08
Total
$11,569.08
Other filed descriptions $4,569.08

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 3, 2026 to Jun 2, 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: 101040256, 101061992.

×

TSA PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 15 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 1, 2024 to Oct 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 23, 2025 to Oct 10, 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: 101030846, 101072241.

Votes2

House May 13, 2025

Yea
76
Nay
65
Present, not voting
2
Absent
3
Excused
4
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2300

HB 842 was passed by (Record 2300): 76 Yeas, 65 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 76 (published)
  • Nay: 65 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 12, 2025

Yea
77
Nay
66
Present, not voting
1
Absent
1
Excused
5
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2235

HB 842 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2235): 77 Yeas, 66 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 77 (published)
  • Nay: 66 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses11
For
10
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • AARP Texas1 registration
  • City of Galveston1 registration
  • City of Houston1 registration
  • City of Port Aransas1 registration
  • City of Sugar Land1 registration
  • Harris County Commissioners Court1 registration
  • Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club1 registration
  • Public Citizen1 registration
  • Self; Texas chapter of US Green Building Council1 registration
  • Texas8111 registration

On

  • Public Utility Commission of Texas1 registration
Sources

11 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($1,000,000)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version I · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 22, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB842, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,000,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($1,000,000)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/14/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:39 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 4 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

GULF OF MEXICO

Coastal Affairs & Beaches

Interim Studies

Utilities--Electric

Utilities--General

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 254 words

89R4027 SCR-D

By: Lalani
H.B. No. 842

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a study and report on burying power lines in the Gulf

Coast region.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:

(1) "Commission" means the Public Utility Commission

of Texas.

(2) "Study area" means the area in the state located

within 150 miles of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS. The legislature finds that:

(1) the study area is prone to weather-related power

outages;

(2) underground power lines are more resistant than

overhead power lines to extreme weather conditions; and

(3) burying power lines in the study area could reduce

the number of weather-related power outages in the study area.

SECTION 3. STUDY. The commission shall evaluate for the

study area the potential:

(1) cost of burying existing overhead power lines;

(2) cost of maintaining and repairing underground

power lines;

(3) cost savings associated with reduced

weather-related power outages; and

(4) use of technologies developed or tested in the

Department of Energy's Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed

Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security program

in the study area.

SECTION 4. REPORT. The commission shall submit a report of

the results of the study and any recommendations to the governor,

lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives

not later than September 1, 2026.

SECTION 5. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires October 31,

2026.

SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September

1, 2025.