HB1606

Regular Session

Relating to notice provided to a retail electric customer of the procedure for requesting vegetation management near a transmission or distribution line.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Low Cost

Effective:2025-06-20

Enforcing Agencies

Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).
Compliance Deadline: June 20, 2025. Any billing cycle generated on or after this date must include the required notice. Do not wait for the standard September 1 legislative effective date.
Agency Rulemaking: The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) will likely open a project to define "periodically" and standardize notice formats. However, the statute is self-executing; you must comply now based on a reasonable interpretation of the text while waiting for PUC clarification.

Immediate Action Plan

1. TDUs: Transmit your official vegetation management request protocols to all REPs in your territory by 48 hours from receipt of this memo.
2. REPs/MOUs/Co-ops: Halt print runs for June 20+ billing cycles. Insert a standalone "stuffer" or flyer if the bill face cannot be reprogrammed in time.
3. Legal/Compliance: Draft the specific notice language. Ensure it explicitly limits the scope to "transmission and distribution lines" to avoid liability for private property landscaping disputes.
4. IT Dept: Initiate a change order to add a permanent "Vegetation Notice" field to the master billing template.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Print & Mail Vendors: Review agreements with third-party billing vendors immediately. Adding this notice may push customer bills to an additional page, triggering increased postage and paper fees. Negotiate "onsert" (on-bill message) vs. "insert" (separate flyer) pricing.
TDU-REP Tariffs: TDUs must formalize the method of transmitting vegetation management procedures to REPs. While the statutory obligation exists, the operational Service Level Agreement (SLA) for how and when this data is updated should be codified.

Hiring/Training

Customer Service Representatives (CSRs): Update scripts immediately. When customers call regarding the new notice, CSRs must be trained to distinguish between *utility-managed* vegetation (safety clearance for lines) and *customer-managed* vegetation (aesthetic trimming).
Billing Operations: Staff must be allocated to manually override standard bill templates for the upcoming cycle if automated IT solutions cannot be deployed by June 20.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Audit Trail: You must maintain a log of exactly when the notice was sent to each customer. In the event of a wildfire or vegetation-related outage, your defense against negligence claims will rely on proving the customer was notified of the procedure to request trimming and failed to do so.
Data Handoff Verification: REPs must document the receipt of procedures from TDUs. If a TDU fails to provide the procedure, the REP must document this failure to shield itself from regulatory penalties for non-compliance.

Fees & Costs

IT Programming: One-time cost to redesign bill templates to include a new dynamic text field.
Postage/Printing: Potential recurring cost increase if the notice length forces a page-count increase.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

"Periodically": The statute requires notice be provided "periodically" but fails to define the frequency.
*Risk:* Providing notice once annually may be deemed insufficient by the PUC in future rulemaking.
*Strategy:* Until the PUC defines this term, include a brief "bill message" (2-3 lines with a URL/Phone Number) on every bill to ensure total compliance. Reserve full-page inserts for annual distribution.
"Procedure": The law does not specify the level of detail required.
*Risk:* Over-explaining the technical procedure may confuse customers; under-explaining may fail statutory requirements.
*Strategy:* Keep the bill notice high-level (e.g., "To request tree trimming near power lines, contact [Entity] at [Number/URL]"). Host the detailed technical procedure on your website.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsCity Government City Government--utilities Utilities Utilities--electric Public Notice

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1606

By: Metcalf

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that overgrown vegetation near power lines, especially in neighborhoods and areas where lines run close to residential homes and roadways, can create risks for power outages, fire hazards, and other safety issues for both residents and workers, and that some consumers might not be aware of the process to request vegetation management to prevent these risks. H.B. 1606 resolves this issue by requiring retail electric utilities, retail electric providers, electric cooperatives, and municipally owned utilities to periodically include notice on customer bills about how to request vegetation management near a transmission or distribution line.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1606 amends the Utilities Code to require the following entities to periodically provide to their retail customers together with bills sent to the customers information about the procedure for a customer to request vegetation management near a transmission or distribution line:

·a retail electric provider, which must be provided that information by an electric utility providing electric delivery service for the provider;

·a retail electric utility;

·a municipally owned utility; and

·an electric cooperative.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

House Authors

Rep. William MetcalfRepublican · Primary Author

Joint Authors

Senate Sponsor

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDemocrat · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

H.B. No. 1606

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to notice provided to a retail electric customer of the
	procedure for requesting vegetation management near a transmission
	or distribution line.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 17.003, Utilities Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (d-1) and adding Subsection (d-2) to read as
	follows:
	(d-1) An electric utility providing electric delivery
	service for a retail electric provider, as defined by Section
	31.002, shall provide to the retail electric provider, and the
	retail electric provider shall periodically provide to the retail
	electric provider's retail customers together with bills sent to
	the customers, information about:
	(1) the electric utility's procedures for implementing
	involuntary load shedding initiated by the independent
	organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power
	region;
	(2) the types of customers who may be considered
	critical care residential customers, critical load industrial
	customers, or critical load according to commission rules adopted
	under Section 38.076;
	(3) the procedure for a customer to apply to be
	considered a critical care residential customer, a critical load
	industrial customer, or critical load according to commission rules
	adopted under Section 38.076; [~~and~~]
	(4) reducing electricity use at times when involuntary
	load shedding events may be implemented; and
	(5) the procedure for a customer to request vegetation
	management near a transmission or distribution line.
	(d-2) A retail electric utility shall periodically provide
	with bills sent to retail customers of the utility information
	about the procedure for a customer to request vegetation management
	near a transmission or distribution line.
	SECTION 2. Section 17.005(f), Utilities Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(f) A municipally owned utility shall periodically provide
	with bills sent to retail customers of the utility information
	about:
	(1) the utility's procedure for implementing
	involuntary load shedding;
	(2) the types of customers who may be considered
	critical care residential customers, critical load industrial
	customers, or critical load according to commission rules adopted
	under Section 38.076;
	(3) the procedure for a customer to apply to be
	considered a critical care residential customer, a critical load
	industrial customer, or critical load according to commission rules
	adopted under Section 38.076; [~~and~~]
	(4) reducing electricity use at times when involuntary
	load shedding events may be implemented; and
	(5) the procedure for a customer to request vegetation
	management near a transmission or distribution line.
	SECTION 3. Section 17.006(f), Utilities Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(f) An electric cooperative shall periodically provide with
	bills sent to retail customers of the cooperative information
	about:
	(1) the cooperative's procedure for implementing
	involuntary load shedding;
	(2) the types of customers who may be considered
	critical care residential customers, critical load industrial
	customers, or critical load according to commission rules adopted
	under Section 38.076;
	(3) the procedure for a customer to apply to be
	considered a critical care residential customer, a critical load
	industrial customer, or critical load according to commission rules
	adopted under Section 38.076; [~~and~~]
	(4) reducing electricity use at times when involuntary
	load shedding events may be implemented; and
	(5) the procedure for a customer to request vegetation
	management near a transmission or distribution line.
	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 31, 2025

TO:	Honorable Ken King, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB1606 by Metcalf (Relating to notice provided to a retail electric customer of the procedure for requesting vegetation management near a transmission or distribution line.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JMc, WP, BC, CWi

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB1606

What does Texas HB1606 do?

HB 1606 mandates that all Retail Electric Providers (REPs), Municipally Owned Utilities (MOUs), and Electric Cooperatives include specific instructions for requesting vegetation management (tree trimming) directly on or with customer bills. This requirement triggers an immediate data-transfer obligation for Transmission and Distribution Utilities (TDUs) to supply these procedures to REPs, and forces a billing template redesign for all retail providers effective immediately. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).

Who authored HB1606?

HB1606 was authored by Texas Representative William Metcalf during the Regular Session.

When was HB1606 signed into law?

HB1606 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce HB1606?

HB1606 is enforced by Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC).

How urgent is compliance with HB1606?

The compliance urgency for HB1606 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of HB1606?

The cost impact of HB1606 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does HB1606 address?

HB1606 addresses topics including city government, city government--utilities, utilities, utilities--electric and public notice.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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