H.B. No. 1783
AN ACT
relating to the Internet broadcasting of Public Utility Commission
of Texas and ERCOT public hearings and meetings.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 12, Utilities Code, is
amended by adding Section 12.204 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.204. INTERNET FOR HEARINGS AND MEETINGS. The
commission shall make publicly accessible without charge live
Internet video of all public hearings and meetings the commission
holds for viewing from the Internet website found at
http://www.puc.state.tx.us. The commission may recover the costs
of administering this section by imposing an assessment against a:
(1) public utility;
(2) corporation described by Section 32.053;
(3) retail electric provider that serves more than
250,000 customers; or
(4) power generation company that owns more than 5,000
megawatts of installed capacity in this state.
SECTION 2. Section 39.1511, Utilities Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) The commission shall ensure that an independent
organization certified under Section 39.151 makes publicly
accessible without charge live Internet video of all public
meetings subject to this section for viewing from an Internet
website.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
hearing or meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act.
A hearing or meeting held before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law as it existed immediately before that date, and
that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1783 was passed by the House on April
21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1783 was passed by the Senate on May
26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor