SB482

SB482 increases penalties for certain assaults and harassment against utility workers and adds them to the law against interference with public duties. Signed June 20, 2025, it applies to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025; earlier offenses remain governed by earlier law. History; Final law.

For bodily-injury assault, the utility-worker provision makes the offense a third-degree felony when the defendant knows or reasonably should know the victim is a utility employee or agent performing a duty within that role. The underlying assault requires intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury; not every offensive touch or argument is this felony. A third-degree felony ordinarily carries 2–10 years in prison and may also carry a fine up to $10,000. A distinctive uniform or badge indicating the worker’s role supports a statutory knowledge presumption, not automatic guilt. Assault enhancement and uniform rule; Underlying assault elements; Ordinary felony range; Limits on presumptions.

Harassment becomes a Class A rather than the ordinary Class B misdemeanor when the defendant knows or reasonably should know the victim is a covered utility worker performing duties. The prosecution still must establish the harassment offense; SB482 does not make every complaint to a utility criminal. A Class A misdemeanor ordinarily permits up to one year in jail, a fine up to $4,000, or both. Harassment enhancement; Harassment elements; Class A punishment.

Interference with a utility employee or agent performing duties is added to Section 38.15. It requires criminal negligence—failure to perceive a substantial, unjustifiable risk that grossly departs from ordinary care—not simply any inconvenience. The base offense remains a Class B misdemeanor, ordinarily up to 180 days in jail, a fine up to $2,000, or both. The existing defense when the alleged interference consists of speech only remains intact. Interference provision; Criminal negligence; Base penalty and speech-only defense; Class B punishment.

The assault and harassment definition lists specified electric, telecommunications, cable/video and gas utilities, oil/gas-related pipelines, electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities. The interference definition separately adds broadband providers and retail water or sewer utility service. The definitions are not identical; coverage depends on the listed statutory categories, not simply whether an employer is commonly called a utility. Two different utility definitions.

The act also adds all Section 38.15 offenses—not only those involving utility workers—to the existing disaster/evacuation-area penalty rule. When its conditions are proved, a Class B interference offense receives Class A punishment. Bodily-injury assault was already on that list, so a qualifying third-degree assault can receive second-degree punishment. Harassment is not added to that disaster list. Separately, existing Section 12.501 can impose a 180-day minimum for qualifying Class A harassment involving known public-servant status and retaliation for or on account of that status or service; utility employment alone does not establish those conditions. Amended disaster-offense list; Existing disaster-area rule; Separate public-servant retaliation rule.