84R10510 DDT-D
By: Vo H.B. No. 2563
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to persons who solicit customers on behalf of a retail
electric provider; adding provisions subject to a criminal penalty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is
amended by adding Section 17.0041 to read as follows:
Sec. 17.0041. RETAIL ELECTRIC PROVIDER SALES
REPRESENTATIVES. (a) A retail electric provider may pay a
commission or other form of remuneration to a person for soliciting
potential customers on behalf of the retail electric provider or
for otherwise representing the provider in a sales capacity only if
the retail electric provider finds that the person complied with
the commission's customer protection standards in acting on behalf
of the retail electric provider. A person who receives a payment of
a commission or other form of remuneration from a retail electric
provider for actions taken by the person to solicit potential
customers or to otherwise represent the retail electric provider in
a sales capacity is considered an agent of the retail electric
provider for purposes of enforcing commission rules regarding
customer protection standards.
(b) A retail electric provider shall annually file a report
with the commission that lists the name of each person to whom the
provider has paid a commission or other remuneration for customer
referral or for sales.
(c) The commission shall compile a list of the information
provided under Subsection (b) and make the list available to the
public on the commission's Internet website.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a customer referral or sale for which a customer enters into a
contract with a retail electric provider on or after the effective
date of this Act. A customer referral or sale in which a customer
entered into a contract with a retail electric provider before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at that
time, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.