6 days ago
Texas Legislature passes bill protecting utility workers from assaults, harassment during disasters
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Those who would attack, harass or impede utility workers following a natural disaster will face enhanced criminal charges when a recently passed bill becomes law in September.
Senate Bill 482 would apply higher charges to any person who, with 'criminal negligence,' 'interrupts, disrupts, impedes, or otherwise interferes' with utility workers performing their duties. The bill passed out of the Texas Legislature on May 20.
These protections already apply to emergency services workers and their service animals, animal control workers and public health inspectors while they perform their duties. The law neatly adds utility workers to that list.
Under Texas law, a misdemeanor assault against one of these workers gets enhanced to a third-degree felony. Also, charges of harassment or obstruction of public duties would also be enhanced under SB 482.
'This bill is bipartisan, pro-worker, and common sense,' said Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy in a press release. 'Our utility workers shouldn't be subject to threats and harassment on the job — no one should. These front-line workers deserve our respect and protection.'
SB 482 author Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, cited incidents that occurred during recovery efforts after Hurricane Beryl as to why she filed the bill this session.
'In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, utility workers restoring power faced not only the physical challenges of repairing downed power lines but also alarming hostility from some members of the public,' she wrote in her statement of intent. 'These workers were met with harassment, verbal threats and, in some cases, physical assaults that put their safety at risk. They persisted in their essential work despite these dangers, highlighting the need for stronger legal protections for utility workers during emergencies.'
AP: Anger over Houston power outages after Beryl has repair crews facing threats from some residents
Hundreds of workers, including Austin Energy crews, responded to Houston following Beryl.
Ed Allen, financial secretary for the Houston local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW 66), said the union's members 'went through hell' in the aftermath of Beryl.
'Our members went through hell following Hurricane Beryl — enduring threats and even assault — all while trying to get the power back on for folks,' said Allen in a press release. 'This is about safety. Our repair crews work tirelessly during natural disasters, and this bill will keep them a bit more protected.'
Texas AFL-CIO Financial Secretary Leonard Aguilar said utility workers were assaulted, and some had guns pointed at them by residents.
'It took a while for the power to come back on, no fault of IBEW local 66, it was just, it was such a large area that had to have power restored. The people were getting upset, and rightfully so, but they didn't have to take it out on those workers that were out there every day, basically 24 hours a day,' he said. 'Just many different ways of just being difficult with the workers and making it difficult for them to do their jobs.'
Workers restored power to 98% of Houston after 10 days, according to electric company CenterPoint Energy. That outpaced recovery efforts following Hurricane Ike in 2008; power was restored to only 74% of customers by the 10-day mark.
No one testified against the bill when it was in the Texas Senate's Criminal Justice Committee, according to legislative records. Representatives from utility companies and labor unions testified alongside each other in support of the bill.
The bill ultimately passed 30-1 in the Texas Senate and 130-16 in the Texas House of Representatives — Aguilar said this is what's necessary to help keep Texas' workers safe.
'This is the way it's supposed to be done across the street at the Texas Capitol. This should be an example of how we should be moving forward to protect workers,' Aguilar said.
Aguilar also said the bill is a good step towards protecting Texas' workers, but that more is needed as the state can be 'difficult' for workers.
'Workers are putting it on the line, day in and day out; not just during disasters, but just when they wake up every day to go to work. Texas is a difficult state to work in,' he said. 'We have to do better as a state to make sure we are protecting the workers. Without the workers, we can't keep the state running.'
The bill is now before Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Unless vetoed, SB 482 takes effect Sept. 1.
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