Texas House bill by Rep. Hernandez allows Public Utility Commission access to criminal history records

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Ana Hernandez seeks to enable the Public Utility Commission of Texas to access criminal history information for individuals with access to sensitive records, aiming to enhance oversight while maintaining confidentiality, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 54 Democrats and 72 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat and seven Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Ana Hernandez introduced the bill in the Texas House on Tuesday, March 11, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Hernandez graduated from the University of Houston in 1999 with a BS and again in 2004 from University of Texas School of Law with a JD.

Hernandez, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2005 to represent the state’s 143rd House district, replacing previous state representative Joe Moreno.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to access to and use of criminal history record information by the Public Utility Commission of Texas’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends Section 411.14031 of the Texas Government Code to allow the Public Utility Commission of Texas to access criminal history record information concerning applicants, employees with access to sensitive or confidential records, and contractors with similar access. It authorizes the commission to obtain this information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state criminal justice agencies, provided such actions align with state public policy and Section 411.087. Acquired information is strictly for the commission’s use, deemed privileged and confidential, and cannot be disclosed without a court order or the individual’s consent. The commission must destroy the information once it serves its intended purpose. The bill’s provisions become effective Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 23, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.