| 1 | 1 | | 81R5044 TJS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Mallory Caraway H.B. No. 1053 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a grace period from the statement issue date for payment |
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| 8 | 8 | | of services to certain electric utilities and related entities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 17.011 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 17.011. PERIOD FOR PAYMENT OF ELECTRIC SERVICES. (a) |
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| 13 | 13 | | A provider of electric service to a retail customer, including an |
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| 14 | 14 | | electric utility, a retail electric provider, an electric |
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| 15 | 15 | | cooperative, or a municipally owned electric utility, may not |
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| 16 | 16 | | disconnect service or pursue any other collections options for |
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| 17 | 17 | | nonpayment of a balance due before the 30th day after the date on |
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| 18 | 18 | | which the statement is issued. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) To the extent of any conflict between this section and |
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| 20 | 20 | | other law, including Subchapter A, Chapter 182, this section |
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| 21 | 21 | | controls. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act does not |
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| 23 | 23 | | affect the rights of a provider of electric utility services to |
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| 24 | 24 | | disconnect service or pursue another collections option in a manner |
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| 25 | 25 | | provided by a contract with a retail customer that was entered into |
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| 26 | 26 | | or renewed before the effective date of this Act. The rights of a |
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| 27 | 27 | | provider under a contract for electric utility services entered |
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| 28 | 28 | | into or renewed before the effective date of this Act are governed |
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| 29 | 29 | | by the law as it existed on the date the contract was entered into or |
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| 30 | 30 | | renewed, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 32 | 32 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 33 | 33 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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