Monitoring the Session

SB 271

bill adds elevator-dependent homes to critical care customers

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Molly CookDSenate 15

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the eligibility of certain retail electric customers for designation as critical care residential customers.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Elevator-dependent, per a physician? Your household can now seek critical care status.

The bill widens the state definition of a critical care residential customer for electric service. It now covers homes where a resident has been diagnosed by a physician as dependent on an elevator to get in or out of the home, in addition to people who depend on an electric-powered medical device to stay alive. More households with residents who need elevators can seek the protections tied to critical care status, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB271 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Sen. Molly CookDSenate 15 Sen. Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6 Sen. Sarah EckhardtDSenate 14

+ 3 more authors

ITEM

relating to the eligibility of certain retail electric customers for designation as critical care residential customers.

WHAT IT DOES

Elevator-dependent, per a physician? Your household can now seek critical care status.

The bill widens the state definition of a critical care residential customer for electric service. It now covers homes where a resident has been diagnosed by a physician as dependent on an elevator to get in or out of the home, in addition to people who depend on an electric-powered medical device to stay alive. More households with residents who need elevators can seek the protections tied to critical care status, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Business & Commerce
FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

“an elevator to access or exit the customer's”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill expands which residential electric customers qualify for critical care designation, which affects who gets protected status on the power grid.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Molly Cook

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15KGregory Stocks$10,000Amber Alonso$6,500

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 27, 2024 to Jun 30, 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$15,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Jun 5, 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: 100987960, 101029944, 101057026.

Gregory Stocks$10,000.00
Amber Alonso$6,500.00
Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Jun 5, 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: 100987960, 101029944, 101057026.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 12, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Aging

Disabilities, Persons with

Disaster Preparedness & Relief

Utilities--Electric

Text

The text as introduced · 157 words

89R4750 CS-D

By: Cook, et al.
S.B. No. 271

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the eligibility of certain retail electric customers

for designation as critical care residential customers.

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

SECTION 1. Section 17.002(3-a), Utilities Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(3-a) "Critical care residential customer" means a

residential customer who has a person permanently residing in the

customer's home who has been diagnosed by a physician as being

dependent upon :

(A) an electric-powered medical device to

sustain life ; or

(B) an elevator to access or exit the customer's

home .

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.