SB1121

Signed by Governor
Authored by Robert Nichols (R)
View at Source

Caption: Relating to excepting certain fiber-optic cable projects from certain notice requirements for projects on state or local public land.
Initially Referred to Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by a Republican
Last Referred to House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband Committee, chaired by a Democrat
SB 1121 exempts certain fiber-optic cable projects from notice requirements that typically apply to projects on state or local public land under the Natural Resources Code. The bill expands the list of categorical exclusions from notification requirements to include the installation, maintenance, operation, replacement, or minor modification of buried fiber-optic cables within the right-of-way of an existing road. This change allows such projects to proceed without requiring notification to the Texas Historical Commission or other relevant entities, as long as they remain within the designated right-of-way. The bill also applies the exemption to projects for which a state permit application was submitted before new rules are promulgated under this section.

Co-authors: West (D)
Sponsors: Metcalf (R)

Feb 5, 2025


(S) Nichols signed onto the bill as Author
(S) Received by the Secretary of the Senate
(S) Filed
 

Feb 24, 2025


(S) Read first time
(S) Referred to the Senate Transportation, chaired by a Republican
 

Mar 12, 2025


(S) Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
(S) Considered in public hearing
(S) Testimony taken in committee
(S) Vote taken in committee
 

Mar 13, 2025


(S) Reported favorably w/o amendments
(S) Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
(S) Committee report printed and distributed
 

Mar 18, 2025


(S) West signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Co-author authorized
 

Mar 20, 2025


(S) Placed on intent calendar
 

Mar 24, 2025


(S) Rules suspended-Regular order of business
(S) Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment

20250324_SB1121_2R: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)

Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini

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(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Three day rule suspended
(S) Record vote
(S) Read 3rd time
(S) Passed

20250324_SB1121_3R: Yea 30 (R 20, D 10) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)

Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini

Absent - Miles

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(S) Record vote
(S) Reported engrossed
 

Mar 25, 2025


(H) Received from the Senate
 

Apr 9, 2025


(H) Read first time
(H) Referred to the House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband, chaired by a Democrat
 

Apr 23, 2025


(H) Recalled from subcommittee
(H) Considered in public hearing
(H) Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
 

Apr 29, 2025


(H) Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
(H) Committee report distributed
(H) Committee report sent to Calendars
 

May 19, 2025


(H) Considered in Calendars
 

May 21, 2025


(H) Placed on General State Calendar
 

May 22, 2025


(H) Read 2nd time
(H) A Republican amendment (No. 1) from Metcalf amended the bill.
(H) Passed to 3rd reading as amended
(H) Record vote

RV#3213: Yea 127 (R 67, D 60) - Nay 12 (R 12, D 0)
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Yea - Alders; Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Hinojosa; Holt; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kerwin; King; Kitzman; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Lozano; Lujan; Luther; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Morales Shaw; Morgan; Munoz; Noble; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Pierson; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Richardson; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zwiener

Nay - Cain; Hopper; Leo Wilson; Lowe; McLaughlin; Olcott; Schatzline; Schofield; Slawson; Tinderholt; Toth; Vasut

Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Harris

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

AJ Louderback: "When Record No. 3213 was taken, I was excused to attend a meeting of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

David Cook: "When Record No. 3213 was taken, I was excused to attend a meeting of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Don McLaughlin: "When Record No. 3213 was taken, I was shown voting no. I intended to vote yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

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May 23, 2025


(H) Read 3rd time
(H) Passed
(H)

RV#3310: Yea 131 (R 77, D 54) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
View Source

Yea - Alders; Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Cain; Canales; Capriglione; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Hinojosa; Holt; Hopper; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kerwin; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Little; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Louderback; Lowe; Lozano; Lujan; Luther; Manuel; Martinez; McLaughlin; Meyer; Meza; Money; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Morales Shaw; Morgan; Munoz; Noble; Olcott; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Pierson; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Richardson; Rodriguez Ramos; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schatzline; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Slawson; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Tepper; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Villalobos; Virdell; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zwiener

Absent - Cole; Darby; Gervin-Hawkins; Lopez, R.; Martinez Fischer

Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Vasut

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

Cody Vasut: "When Record No. 3310 was taken, I was presiding in the chair and was shown voting present, not voting. I intended to vote yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Trey Martinez Fischer: "When Record No. 3310 was taken, I was temporarily out of the house chamber. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Will Metcalf: "When Record No. 3310 was taken, I was excused to attend a meeting of the Committee on State Affairs. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:


(S) House passage as amended reported
 

May 26, 2025


(H) Senate concurs in House amendment(s)-reported
 

May 27, 2025


(S) Signed in the Senate
 

May 28, 2025


(H) Signed in the House
(E) Sent to the Governor
 


(S) Metcalf signed onto the bill as Sponsor

Lobbying Against/For/On This Bill

For

(Wed 3/12/2025) Testifying before S Transportation as Patrick Sherrill for Poka Lambro Telecommunications
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Caroline Messer for AT&T
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Daniel Gibson for Texas Rural Broadband Association
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Jeff Emerick for Texas Association of Business
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Seth Juergens for Texas REALTORS
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Shelly Botkin for Texas Broadband Association
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Thomas Parkinson for self
(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Wes Robinson for Eastex Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
 

On

(Wed 3/12/2025) Registering before S Transportation as Clifford Sparks for City of Dallas



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