Monitoring the Session

SB 2864

bill letting roofers install solar roofing without an electrical license

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Brandon CreightonRSenate 4

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 applicability of the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act to, and the regulation by certain political subdivisions of, the installation of roofing materials containing integrated photovoltaic technology.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

As long as they don’t wire it in. Cities can’t ban it.

The bill lets roofing contractors install roofing materials that have solar power cells built in without holding a state electrical license, as long as they do not hook the material up to the building's wiring. It also bars cities and regions from passing or enforcing electrical rules that ban roofing contractors from doing that installation. On the ground, roofers can lay solar shingles and similar products, while a licensed electrician still has to make the electrical connection.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 1, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee 12-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2864 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to the applicability of the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act to, and the regulation by certain political subdivisions of, the installation of roofing materials containing integrated photovoltaic technology.

WHAT IT DOES

As long as they don’t wire it in. Cities can’t ban it.

The bill lets roofing contractors install roofing materials that have solar power cells built in without holding a state electrical license, as long as they do not hook the material up to the building's wiring. It also bars cities and regions from passing or enforcing electrical rules that ban roofing contractors from doing that installation. On the ground, roofers can lay solar shingles and similar products, while a licensed electrician still has to make the electrical connection.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

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

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Business & Commerce
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  15. Laid before the Senate
  16. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  17. Vote recorded in Journal
  18. Three day rule suspended
  19. Record vote
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the Senate
  25. Read first time
  26. Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures
  27. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  28. Considered in public hearing
  29. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  30. Left pending in committee
  31. Considered in formal meeting
  32. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  33. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  34. Committee report distributed
  35. Committee report sent to Calendars
ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

CARVE-OUT · analysis confidence 35%

THE TEXT

“a roofing contractor who installs on a building a roofing material containing integrated photovoltaic technology if the contractor does not connect the material to the electrical wiring system of the building”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The exemption goes to one license class, roofing contractors, for one product, solar-integrated roofing. The caption names this narrow target openly, so the favor is not hidden.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 1, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

Donors report through Friends of Brandon Creighton.

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

$0 raised since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. blank in the state's data, consistent with zero. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

Report 101060909: Published total from the filed report. Retrieved Oct 29, 2026. Filed report 101060909

$0 spent Jan 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2026. Published total from the filed report. Flow, Jan 1, 2026 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 1 of 1 filed reports carry a published figure.

Report 101060909: Published total from the filed report. Retrieved Oct 29, 2026. Filed report 101060909

$0 cash on hand. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

$0 loans outstanding. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived sum of itemized contributions in regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Unitemized contributions are not included. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Money

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

Votes3

Senate May 1, 2025

Final passage

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 2864 (Creighton) Relating to the applicability of the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act to, and the regulation by certain political subdivisions of, the installation of roofing materials containing integrated photovoltaic technology. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 1, 2025

Suspension of the three-day rule

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 2864 (Creighton) Relating to the applicability of the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act to, and the regulation by certain political subdivisions of, the installation of roofing materials containing integrated photovoltaic technology. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 1, 2025

Passage to engrossment

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

SB 2864 (Creighton) Relating to the applicability of the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act to, and the regulation by certain political subdivisions of, the installation of roofing materials containing integrated photovoltaic technology. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Witnesses16
For
14
Against
2
On
0
Names

For

  • GAF Energy1 registration
  • Independent Electrical Contractors of Texas2 registrations
  • RCAT1 registration
  • Roofing Contractors Association of Texas1 registration
  • Self; Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT)1 registration
  • Solar Energy Industries Association1 registration
  • Solar Energy Industries Assoication (SEIA)1 registration
  • Texas 20362 registrations
  • Texas Association of Builders2 registrations
  • Texas Chapter US Green Building Council1 registration
  • Texas Solar and Storage Association1 registration

Against

  • City of Dallas1 registration
  • Texas AFL-CIO1 registration
Sources

16 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.

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

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 Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/20/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Sponsors

House committee · Licensing & Administrative Procedures · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Energy--Solar

Occupational Regulation--Other Trades & Professions

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

ROOFING CONTRACTORS

Text

The text as introduced · 1,188 words

89R4176 GP-F

By: Creighton
S.B. No. 2864

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the applicability of the Texas Electrical Safety and

Licensing Act to, and the regulation by certain political

subdivisions of, the installation of roofing materials containing

integrated photovoltaic technology.

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

SECTION 1. Section 1305.003(a), Occupations Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) This chapter does not apply to:

(1) the installation of electrical equipment in a

ship, watercraft other than a floating building, railway rolling

stock, aircraft, motor vehicle, or recreational vehicle;

(2) the installation of electrical equipment

underground in a mine and in self-propelled mobile surface mining

machinery and its attendant electrical trailing cable;

(3) the installation of electrical equipment for

generation, transformation, transmission, or distribution of power

used exclusively to operate railway rolling stock or exclusively

for signaling and communications purposes;

(4) the installation, maintenance, alteration, or

repair of communications equipment provided by a

telecommunications provider;

(5) the installation, maintenance, alteration, or

repair of electrical equipment under the exclusive control of an

electric utility, power generation company as defined by Sections

31.002(1) and (10), Utilities Code, electric cooperative, or

municipally owned utility and used for communications or metering,

or for the generation, control, transformation, transmission, and

distribution of electrical energy, and located:

(A) in a building used exclusively by a utility

or power generation company for those purposes;

(B) outdoors on property owned or leased by the

utility or power generation company;

(C) on public highways, streets, roads, or other

public rights-of-way; or

(D) outdoors by established rights in vaults or

on private property;

(6) work not specifically regulated by a municipal

ordinance that is performed in or on a dwelling by a person who owns

and resides in the dwelling;

(7) work involved in the manufacture of electrical

equipment that includes the on-site and off-site manufacturing,

commissioning, testing, calibrating, coordinating,

troubleshooting, or evaluating of electrical equipment, the

repairing or retrofitting of electrical equipment with components

of the same ampacity, and the maintenance and servicing of

electrical equipment within the equipment's enclosure that is

performed by an authorized employee or authorized representative of

an electrical equipment manufacturer and limited to the type of

products manufactured by the manufacturer;

(8) electrical work if:

(A) the work is performed by a person who does not

engage in electrical work for the public;

(B) the work is performed by a person regularly

employed as a maintenance person or maintenance electrician for a

business; and

(C) the electrical work does not involve the

installation of electrical equipment during new construction as

defined by rules adopted under Chapter 151, Tax Code;

(9) the installation, maintenance, alteration, or

repair of electrical equipment or associated wiring under the

exclusive control of a gas utility and used for communications or

metering or for the control, transmission, or distribution of

natural gas;

(10) thoroughfare lighting, traffic signals,

intelligent transportation systems, and telecommunications

controlled by a governmental entity;

(11) electrical connections supplying heating,

ventilation, and cooling and refrigeration equipment, including

any required disconnect exclusively for the equipment, if the

service is performed by a licensed air conditioning and

refrigeration contractor under Chapter 1302;

(12) the design, installation, erection, repair, or

alteration of Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3 remote control,

signaling, or power-limited circuits, fire alarm circuits, optical

fiber cables, or communications circuits, including raceways, as

defined by the National Electrical Code;

(13) landscape irrigation installers, as necessary to

perform the installation and maintenance of irrigation control

systems, and landscapers, as necessary to perform the installation

and maintenance of low-voltage exterior lighting and holiday

lighting excluding any required power source;

(14) electrical work performed at a business that

operates:

(A) a chemical plant, petrochemical plant,

refinery, natural gas plant, natural gas treating plant, pipeline,

or oil and gas exploration and production operation by a person who

works solely for and is employed by that business; or

(B) a chemical plant, petrochemical plant,

refinery, natural gas plant, or natural gas treatment plant by a

person who under a contract of at least 12 months' duration performs

electrical work for that plant and:

(i) the electrical work is not performed

during new construction as defined by rules adopted under Chapter

151, Tax Code; or

(ii) the person is not working for a

contractor that has a principal place of business in another state

or territory of the United States or a foreign country;

(15) the installation, maintenance, alteration, or

repair of elevators, escalators, or related equipment, excluding

any required power source, regulated under Chapter 754, Health and

Safety Code;

(16) the installation, maintenance, alteration, or

repair of equipment or network facilities provided or utilized by a

cable operator, as that term is defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 522, as

amended;

(17) the location, design, construction, extension,

maintenance, and installation of on-site sewage disposal systems in

accordance with Chapter 366, Health and Safety Code, or an on-site

sewage facility installer licensed under Chapter 37, Water Code;

(18) electrical work performed on a building,

structure, or equipment in agricultural use as defined by Section

11.002, Water Code, other than the processing of an agricultural

commodity;

(19) the installation, maintenance, alteration, or

repair of well pumps and equipment in accordance with Chapter 1902;

(20) electrical work required for the construction and

assembly of HUD-code manufactured housing or modular housing and

building units, other than the installation of service entrance

conductors, that is performed by a licensed manufacturer or

installer under Chapter 1201 or 1202, as applicable, if work

performed is within the scope of the license as defined by

applicable statutes and administrative rules;

(21) work performed by a plumber who holds a license or

endorsement or is registered under Chapter 1301 that is necessary

to install, service, maintain, repair, or replace any type of

plumbing fixture or appliance, as described by Section 1301.002(7),

including a water heater, food disposer, garbage disposal, water

softener, dishwashing machine, and clothes washing machine on

existing electrical circuits only;

(22) the maintenance or repair of a residential

appliance by a residential appliance dealer or manufacturer or a

person authorized by a residential appliance dealer or manufacturer

using only components of the same type and ampacity as the original

components; [ and ]

(23) the maintenance, alteration, or repair of a

pool-related electrical device by, or pool-related electrical

maintenance performed by, an employee of a municipality on a pool

owned or operated by the municipality ; and

(24) a roofing contractor who installs on a building a

roofing material containing integrated photovoltaic technology if

the contractor does not connect the material to the electrical

wiring system of the building .

SECTION 2. Section 1305.201, Occupations Code, is amended

by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

(g) A municipality or region may not adopt or enforce an

ordinance or other regulation applicable to electrical work that

prohibits the installation on a building of a roofing material

containing integrated photovoltaic technology by a roofing

contractor if the contractor does not connect the material to the

electrical wiring system of the building.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.