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Back to HB 4344
Texas Legislature· HB 4344Effective on 9/1/25

Relating to access to and use of criminal history record information by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the official text

Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Texas Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official page appears here in brackets. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
H.B. No. 4344

AN ACT

relating to access to and use of criminal history record

information by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

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

SECTION 1. Section 411.14031, Government Code, is amended

by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding Subsections

(a-1) and (b-1) to read as follows:

(a) The Public Utility Commission of Texas is entitled to

obtain as provided by Subsection (a-1) [from the department]

criminal history record information [maintained by the department]

that relates to an applicant for employment at, a current employee

of, or a person who contracts or may contract to provide goods or

services for the Public Utility Commission of Texas [a person

undergoing a background and criminal history check under Section

12.107, Utilities Code].

(a-1) Subject to Section 411.087 and consistent with the

public policy of this state, the Public Utility Commission of Texas

is entitled to:

(1) obtain through the Federal Bureau of Investigation

criminal history record information maintained or indexed by that

bureau that pertains to a person described by Subsection (a); and

(2) obtain from the department or any other criminal

justice agency in this state criminal history record information

maintained by the department or that criminal justice agency that

relates to a person described by Subsection (a).

(b) Criminal history record information obtained under

Subsection (a-1) [(a):

[(1)] is for the exclusive use of the Public Utility

Commission of Texas and is privileged and confidential.

(b-1) The Public Utility Commission of Texas may not release

or disclose to any person criminal history record information

obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Subsection

(a-1)(1). Criminal history record information obtained by the

Public Utility Commission of Texas under Subsection (a-1)(2)[; and

[(2)] may not be released or disclosed to any person or

agency except on court order or with the consent of the person who

is the subject of the information.

(c) The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall [may]

destroy criminal history record information obtained under this

section [Subsection (a)] after the information is used for the

purpose authorized by this section.

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

______________________________
______________________________

President of the Senate
Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4344 was passed by the House on May 2,

2025, by the following vote: Yeas 130, Nays 5, 1 present, not

voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.

No. 4344 on May 23, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 126, Nays 8,

2 present, not voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4344 was passed by the Senate, with

amendments, on May 19, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays

0.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

APPROVED: __________________

Date

__________________

Governor
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