This week in the Legislature: Combating fuel theft, ER barriers, school safety, SH249 renaming

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) As the Texas Legislature enters the final weeks of its 2025 session, lawmakers are advancing a slate of public safety bills — including proposals to crack down on organized fuel theft and require crash barriers outside hospital emergency rooms.

The Senate this week passed Senate Bill 988, which would elevate the penalty for damaging motor fuel pumps or electric vehicle charging stations to a third-degree felony. The bill targets organized criminal rings that hack into fuel dispensers and steal thousands of gallons of gasoline at a time.

“This bill was brought to me by the Dallas District Attorney’s Office,” said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, during the committee hearing. “Since the fall of 2020, organized criminal groups have been actually taught how to disrupt fuel dispenser pulsers and gas pumps across Texas.”

Steve Fossett, chief of the gang unit for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, testified last month that current law limits officers to issuing low-level charges—even when suspects are caught mid-crime.

“They busted into the pump—well, how much damage? They cut a $2 bolt… OK, so Class C misdemeanor. Here’s your ticket,” Fossett said. “We’re asking that become a third-degree felony so that we can bring them to justice, just like we have with ATMs.”

Fossett added that criminals can now buy pulser manipulation devices online.

“It’s very lucrative to break into gas pumps and steal lots of fuel… they’ve gotten pretty brazen. They’re not just homemade anymore. Now you can buy it online,” Fossett said.

The bill passed 29-2 and now heads to the House.

Also advancing is Senate Bill 660, filed by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas. The bill would require hospitals with emergency rooms near vehicle traffic to install crash-rated bollards or similar safety barriers — a direct response to a fatal incident in February 2024, when a car crashed into the ER at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, killing one person and injuring five others.

Testifying in support of the bill, Jeffrey Hallett, a perimeter security expert and president of Hallett Consulting, cited national data and international safety standards.

“Buildings are struck by vehicles more than 100 times per day, totaling over 36,000 incidents per year,” Hallett said. “Senate Bill 660 focuses on protecting hospital emergency rooms — places dedicated on saving lives.”

Joell McNew, co-founder of SafeHorns and a certified crime prevention practitioner, said the proposal aligns with established security protocols.

“This measure aligns with crime prevention through environmental design, specifically the principle of natural access control,” McNew said. “By strategically placing barriers such as bollards, we can effectively deter unauthorized vehicular access and enhance safety of patients, healthcare workers and visitors.”

1 killed, 5 injured when vehicle crashes into emergency room in Texas

Consumer safety group Texas Watch also backed the bill.

People aren’t at their best, they’re not driving at their best and we need to protect all the folks inside of the hospital, whether it’s doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, patients and their families, we need to protect them,” said Executive Director Ware Wendell. “This is a cost-effective way to do this. It’s easy to do.”

The Texas Hospital Association, however, testified against the bill, warning it could impose costly mandates on smaller hospitals. Steve Wohleb, senior vice president and general counsel for THA, acknowledged the Austin crash but said such incidents are rare at hospitals.

“Certainly, the incident at the North Austin hospital was tragic — no other way to put it,” Wohleb said. “But while the data is elusive, what we’ve been able to find out indicates that incidents involving hospitals are only a small fraction of those types of accidents, with retailers and other storefront-type businesses making up by far the majority.”

Wohleb argued that hospitals should maintain flexibility based on location and layout:

“Hospitals should be allowed to assess for themselves the physical layout of the emergency department… rather than implementing a one-size-fits-all mandate,” Wohleb added.

SB660 was placed on the intent calendar to be heard by the full senate on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Senate also passed SB 3034, which would designate a portion of State Highway 249 in Montgomery and Grimes counties as the Doug Pitcock Aggie Expressway, in honor of the Class of ‘49 former student, highway construction leader, and longtime Texas A&M supporter.

With the legislative session set to conclude in late May, lawmakers are expected to ramp up hearings and votes on dozens of bills in the coming weeks.

A public hearing on SB3034 is scheduled for Monday.

Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center named after 1949 graduate

Lawmakers are also considering a school safety bill aimed at improving reporting of employee misconduct. Senate Bill 1224, authored by Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland would require superintendents and school administrators to notify local law enforcement within 48 hours if an educator is accused of serious misconduct, including criminal activity or inappropriate behavior. The bill allows the State Board for Educator Certification to issue administrative penalties up to $10,000 for failing to report and establishes criminal charges for intentional concealment.

Supporters say the measure will close accountability gaps and strengthen student protections across Texas public schools.

A public hearing for SB1224 is scheduled for Tuesday.

With the session set to conclude in late May, lawmakers are expected to accelerate hearings and floor votes in the coming weeks. A special session remains a possibility. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said he will push for one if proposals to ban THC and reform the state’s bail system fail. However, only Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to call a special session.

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