Tex. Util. Code § 186.032 · Subchapter C. FRAUDULENT OBTAINING OF SERVICE
FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINING TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A person commits an offense if:
(1) knowing that another will use the published information to avoid payment of a charge for telecommunications service, the person publishes:
(A) an existing, cancelled, revoked, or nonexistent telephone number;
(B) a credit number or other credit device; or
(C) a method of numbering or coding that is used in issuing telephone numbers or credit devices, including credit numbers; or
(2) the person makes or possesses equipment specifically designed to be used fraudulently to avoid charges for telecommunications service.
(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500, by confinement in jail for not more than 60 days, or by both, unless the person has been previously convicted of an offense under this section. A second or subsequent offense is a felony punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000, by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for not less than two years and not more than five years, or by both.
(c) This section does not apply to an employee of a public utility who provides telecommunications service while acting in the course of employment.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 166, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 25.156, eff. September 1, 2009.
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 f518649efa91de755d2a7dd76e43fae1eb50b744934226c372089496fe77beaf
- 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
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Util. Code § 186.032. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
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.