A measure to protect utility workers against assault or harassment on the job has passed the Texas House on a strong, bipartisan vote. Houston Senator Carol Alvarado authored Senate Bill 482. Representative Sam Harless of Spring sponsored it in the House.
“If you lived in Houston during Hurricane Beryl, you would not believe what happened. We had to send police out with our linemen to restore electricity, because they were getting threatened. This bill should get a unanimous vote on this House floor, because if it was your power, you would want it back on as soon as possible.”
The bill increases the penalty for assault on a utility worker from a Class A misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. It also increases the penalty for harassment of a utility worker from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor.
