Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB614 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Lucio S.B. No. 614
2	2	(In the Senate - Filed February 18, 2013; February 25, 2013,
3	3	read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce;
4	4	March 18, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
5	5	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; March 18, 2013,
6	6	sent to printer.)
7	7	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 614 By: Lucio
8	8
9	9
10	10	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	11	AN ACT
12	12	relating to an electric utility surcharge to assist owners of
13	13	certain historic structures with electric bill payments and to
14	14	promote energy conservation and efficiency.
15	15	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
16	16	SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Utilities Code, is amended
17	17	by adding Chapter 44 to read as follows:
18	18	CHAPTER 44. ENERGY ASSISTANCE FOR HISTORIC STRUCTURES
19	19	Sec. 44.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
20	20	(1) "Fund" means the historic structure energy
21	21	assistance fund.
22	22	(2) "Historic structure" has the meaning assigned by
23	23	Section 442.001, Government Code.
24	24	Sec. 44.002. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to a
25	25	county that:
26	26	(1) has a population of 400,000 or more;
27	27	(2) is adjacent to an international border;
28	28	(3) borders the Gulf of Mexico; and
29	29	(4) is in an area where customer choice has not been
30	30	adopted.
31	31	Sec. 44.003. HISTORIC STRUCTURE ENERGY ASSISTANCE. (a)
32	32	The historic structure energy assistance fund is an account in the
33	33	general revenue fund administered by the commission. Money in the
34	34	account may be appropriated only for the purposes of a program
35	35	created under Subsection (c). Interest earned on the fund shall be
36	36	credited to the fund.
37	37	(b) The commission shall adopt and enforce rules requiring
38	38	electric utilities, municipally owned utilities, and electric
39	39	cooperatives to:
40	40	(1) establish a monthly surcharge in an amount of 50
41	41	cents per customer to finance the fund; and
42	42	(2) remit the collected surcharges to the comptroller
43	43	for deposit to the credit of the fund.
44	44	(c) The commission shall establish a grant or loan or other
45	45	assistance program designed to:
46	46	(1) increase energy efficiency in historic
47	47	structures;
48	48	(2) promote energy conservation in historic
49	49	structures; and
50	50	(3) assist owners of historic structures with electric
51	51	bill payments.
52	52	(d) The commission by rule shall establish application
53	53	procedures and eligibility criteria for an owner of a historic
54	54	structure in need of assistance with payment of electric bills or
55	55	with energy conservation or energy efficiency measures.
56	56	(e) The commission may use money from the fund to pay the
57	57	commission's costs associated with:
58	58	(1) establishing the program under Subsection (c),
59	59	including costs of rulemaking; and
60	60	(2) administering the program and fund.
61	61	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
62	62	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
63	63	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
64	64	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
65	65	Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
66	66	* * * * *