Monitoring the Session

SB 483

Alvarado Bill Hands Your Contact Info To Utilities In 48 Hours

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Sen. Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6
Why it's charged
The hole

THE TEXT

…“Chapter 15, does not apply to a violation of this section.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption promises protection of customer data, but this clause switches off the usual penalty subchapter for violations and leaves only the Section 15.021 route. A utility or contractor that mishandles the data faces weaker consequences than other utility rule violations.

The hole

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 sharing and protection of certain utility proprietary customer information.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No consent needed at either step. Mishandle the data? The usual penalties don’t apply.

The bill makes retail electric providers hand customer names, phone numbers, emails and home addresses to the local delivery utility within 48 hours when the utility asks, so the utility can contact customers about outages and restoration. The utility may pass that information to another person for the same purpose, and nobody needs the customer's prior consent at either step. Anyone holding the data must keep it secure and delete it when no longer needed, but the usual administrative penalties do not apply to violations, leaving only the enforcement route in Section 15.021.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 22, 2024 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB483 · 2024-11-22

SOLD BY

Sen. Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6 Sen. Sarah EckhardtDSenate 14 Sen. Roland GutierrezDSenate 19

+ 1 more author

ITEM

relating to the sharing and protection of certain utility proprietary customer information.

WHAT IT DOES

No consent needed at either step. Mishandle the data? The usual penalties don’t apply.

The bill makes retail electric providers hand customer names, phone numbers, emails and home addresses to the local delivery utility within 48 hours when the utility asks, so the utility can contact customers about outages and restoration. The utility may pass that information to another person for the same purpose, and nobody needs the customer's prior consent at either step. Anyone holding the data must keep it secure and delete it when no longer needed, but the usual administrative penalties do not apply to violations, leaving only the enforcement route in Section 15.021.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

…“Chapter 15, does not apply to a violation of this section.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption promises protection of customer data, but this clause switches off the usual penalty subchapter for violations and leaves only the Section 15.021 route. A utility or contractor that mishandles the data faces weaker consequences than other utility rule violations.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 23, 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
FILED UNDER

SURVEILLANCE STATE

THE TEXT

…“utility may provide the proprietary customer information to another”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill lets utilities pass customer contact data to an undefined third party without the customer's prior consent, under an emergency-communication banner.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carol Alvarado

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$25KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$20KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20K

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 30, 2024 to Jun 19, 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 Sands PAC$25,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Mar 16, 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: 101012403, 101030499, 101059972.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$20,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Dec 8, 2025. 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: 101007246, 101030499.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

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 · Oct 30, 2024 to Dec 9, 2025. 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: 101012403, 101030499.

Money

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

×

Texas Sands PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Mar 16, 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: 101012403, 101030499, 101059972.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Dec 8, 2025. 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: 101007246, 101030499.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

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 · Oct 30, 2024 to Dec 9, 2025. 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: 101012403, 101030499.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 23, 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 Nov 22, 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

Companion

HB 5145 by Thompson (identical)

Subjects

Consumer Protection

Disaster Preparedness & Relief

Protection of Personal Information

Utilities--Electric

Utilities--General

Text

The text as introduced · 405 words

89R4122 SCR-F

By: Alvarado, et al.
S.B. No. 483

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the sharing and protection of certain utility

proprietary customer information.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is

amended by adding Section 17.011 to read as follows:

Sec. 17.011. SHARING PROPRIETARY CUSTOMER INFORMATION. (a)

In this section, "proprietary customer information" means any

identifying information compiled by a retail electric provider

about an individual customer that may be used for communication

regarding emergencies, billing, or service-related matters,

including the customer's:

(1) name;

(2) telephone number;

(3) e-mail address; or

(4) home address.

(b) An electric utility providing electric delivery

services for a retail electric provider may request from the retail

electric provider any proprietary customer information reasonably

necessary for the electric utility to communicate with a customer

regarding an emergency affecting service, an interruption of

service, or restoration of service. The retail electric provider

shall provide to the electric utility the proprietary customer

information not later than 48 hours after the request is made. The

retail electric provider is not required to obtain a prior

verifiable authorization from the customer before complying with

this subsection.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 39.157(d)(4), an electric

utility may provide the proprietary customer information to another

person without prior verifiable authorization from the customer as

necessary for communication with the customer regarding an

emergency affecting service, an interruption of service, or

restoration of service.

(d) An electric utility or another person who obtains

proprietary customer information under this section:

(1) shall, for purposes of protecting the

confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of the information,

establish, implement, and maintain reasonable administrative,

technical, and physical data security practices that are

appropriate to the volume and nature of the information at issue,

including encryption and secure data storage; and

(2) may not retain the information for longer than

reasonably necessary to communicate with the customer regarding an

emergency affecting service, an interruption of service, or

restoration of service.

(e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), Subchapter B,

Chapter 15, does not apply to a violation of this section.

(f) Section 15.021 applies to a violation of this section.

(g) This section does not affect the application of Chapter

541, Business & Commerce Code, to a person that is not an electric

utility or a retail electric provider.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.