By: Carter H.B. No. 3669
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the funding for and user friendliness of the website
operated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas to provide
information regarding the power to choose retail electric
providers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that
(a) The Public Utility Commission of Texas operates a
website regarding the power to choose retail electric providers on
which offers by those providers are published;
(b) The website is not easily usable and does not provide
the transparency necessary for consumers;
(c) The State of Texas pays for the website and consumer
education of electricity rates that in fiscal year 2010-2011 cost
$750,000;
(d) The Legislative Budget Board of Texas has proposed
drastic cuts to the budget for the website and consumer education of
electricity rates in fiscal year 2012-2013; and
(a) Any such cuts may affect a consumer's power to choose
retail electric providers.
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is
amended by adding Section 39.111 to read as follows:
Sec. 39.111. PRIVATIZATION OF THE POWER TO CHOOSE WEBSITE.
(a) The Public Utilities Commission of Texas shall
privatize the power to choose website at a cost of a minimum of
twenty-five percent less than the current cost to the State of Texas
and allow a request for proposal for privatization;
(b) The Public Utilities Commission of Texas by rule shall
prohibit companies that are headquartered outside of the State of
Texas or that are owned, operated or controlled by a retail electric
provider, as defined by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas,
from participating in the request for proposal;
(c) The Public Utilities Commission of Texas by rule shall
establish additional protocols relating to the request for proposal
through which competitive bids will be accepted;
(d) The Public Utilities Commission of Texas by rule shall
require any request for proposal to bid the redesign of the website
to be more user friendly and the redevelopment of the website
content and usability that truly benefit a consumer's power to
choose;
(e) The commission by rule shall establish protocols
relating to the frequency with which information posted on the
website is updated.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.