Tex. Util. Code § 186.021 · Subchapter B. MANIPULATION OF SERVICE FOR CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES
EMERGENCY INVOLVING HOSTAGE OR ARMED SUSPECT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) In an emergency in which the supervising law enforcement official having jurisdiction in the geographical area has probable cause to believe that an armed and barricaded suspect or a person holding a hostage is committing a crime, the supervising law enforcement official may order a designated telephone company security official to cut or otherwise control telephone lines to prevent telephone communication by the armed suspect or the hostage holder with a person other than a peace officer or person authorized by a peace officer.
(b) The serving telephone company in the geographical area of a law enforcement unit shall designate a telephone company security official and an alternate to provide all required assistance to law enforcement officials to carry out this section.
(c) Good faith reliance on an order given by a supervising law enforcement official under this section is a complete defense to a civil or criminal action brought against a telephone company or the company's director, officer, agent, or employee as a result of compliance with the order.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 166, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/UT/htm/UT.186.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 8b5de0cadbcbfa9c43495cc195330787f6135f4c66a3044e6a51ad376f37bd86
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.