81R6382 TJS-D
By: Bohac H.B. No. 1797
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to notice of a price change in retail electric service
contracts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is
amended by adding Section 39.112 to read as follows:
Sec. 39.112. NOTICE OF PRICE CHANGE. (a) In this section,
"fixed price contract" means a residential retail electric service
contract for which the price for each billing period is stated in
the contract and does not change throughout the term of the
contract. The term does not include month-to-month service.
(b) An electric utility, retail electric provider, electric
cooperative, or municipally owned utility providing residential
service shall provide a residential customer who has a fixed price
contract with written notification of the date the price is
scheduled to change. The notice must be sent to the customer's
billing address by mail postmarked not less than one billing cycle
before the date the price is scheduled to change.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a contract for retail electric service entered into or renewed on
or after the effective date of this Act. A contract for retail
electric service entered into or renewed before the effective date
of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before
the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect
for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.