84R11017 TSR-F
By: Oliveira, Lucio III H.B. No. 2538
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the designation of certain customer bill payment
assistance program costs as an expense of operation that is a first
lien against revenue securing certain public securities or
obligations in certain municipalities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 1502.056, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) For a municipality in a county that contains an
international border and borders the Gulf of Mexico, the first lien
against the revenue of a municipally owned utility system that
secures the payment of public securities issued or obligations
incurred under this chapter also applies to funding, as a necessary
operations expense, for a bill payment assistance program for the
utility system's customers who:
(1) have received a notice of disconnection from
service for nonpayment of bills and who have been determined by the
municipality to be low-income customers;
(2) are military veterans who have significantly
decreased abilities to regulate their bodies' core temperatures
because of severe burns received in combat; or
(3) are elderly and low-income customers as determined
by the municipality.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.