| 1 | 1 | | 81R11064 TJS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Weber H.B. No. 4011 |
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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 the use of money in the system benefit fund to purchase |
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| 8 | 8 | | advanced meters for low-income customers. |
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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. Section 39.903(e), Utilities Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (e) Money in the system benefit fund may be appropriated to |
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| 13 | 13 | | provide funding solely for the following regulatory purposes, in |
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| 14 | 14 | | the following order of priority: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) programs to: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (A) assist low-income electric customers by |
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| 17 | 17 | | providing the 10 percent reduced rate prescribed by Subsection (h); |
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| 18 | 18 | | and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (B) provide one-time bill payment assistance to |
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| 20 | 20 | | electric customers who are or who have in their households one or |
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| 21 | 21 | | more seriously ill or disabled low-income persons and who have been |
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| 22 | 22 | | threatened with disconnection for nonpayment; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) customer education programs, administrative |
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| 24 | 24 | | expenses incurred by the commission in implementing and |
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| 25 | 25 | | administering this chapter, and expenses incurred by the office |
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| 26 | 26 | | under this chapter; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) programs to assist low-income electric customers |
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| 28 | 28 | | by providing the targeted energy efficiency programs described by |
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| 29 | 29 | | Subsection (f)(2), including programs to provide low-income |
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| 30 | 30 | | electric customers with advanced meters; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (4) programs to assist low-income electric customers |
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| 32 | 32 | | by providing the 20 percent reduced rate prescribed by Subsection |
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| 33 | 33 | | (h); and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (5) reimbursement to the commission and the Health and |
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| 35 | 35 | | Human Services Commission for expenses incurred in the |
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| 36 | 36 | | implementation and administration of an integrated eligibility |
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| 37 | 37 | | process created under Section 17.007 for customer service discounts |
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| 38 | 38 | | relating to retail electric service, including outreach expenses |
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| 39 | 39 | | the commission determines are reasonable and necessary. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 41 | 41 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 42 | 42 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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