85R9927 YDB-F
By: Thierry H.B. No. 1931
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the duties of the State Energy Conservation Office
regarding advanced clean energy project grants and loans and the
creation of an inclusion task force for the energy industry.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 447.013, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (i) and adding Subsections (k), (l), and (m) to
read as follows:
(i) A recipient of a grant or loan under this section is
encouraged to purchase goods and services from small businesses, as
that term is defined by Section 481.401, and historically
underutilized businesses, as that term is defined by Section
2161.001 [those terms are defined by former Section 481.191, as
that section existed on January 1, 2015].
(k) The State Energy Conservation Office shall require each
recipient of a grant awarded or loan made under this section, as a
condition for receipt of the grant or loan, to annually submit a
detailed plan for increasing procurements from historically
underutilized businesses in renewable energy, advanced
technologies, and demonstration and other clean energy projects.
The plan:
(1) must include short-term and long-term goals,
schedules for completing stages of the procurement contract, and
methods for encouraging general contractors and grant or loan
recipients to engage historically underutilized businesses in
subcontracts for renewable energy, advanced technologies, and
demonstration and other clean energy projects; and
(2) may not include a requirement that the recipient
of the grant or loan achieve a specified number or percentage of
procurements from historically underutilized businesses compared
to the recipient's total procurements.
(l) The State Energy Conservation Office shall require as a
condition for receipt of a grant or loan under this section that
each recipient submit an annual report to the office, in the form
and not later than the date required by the office, regarding
implementation of the plan established under Subsection (k). The
recipient shall post the report on the recipient's Internet website
and the office shall post a copy of the report on the office's
Internet website.
(m) The State Energy Conservation Office shall:
(1) develop guidelines to be used by each grant or loan
recipient in establishing the plan under Subsection (k); and
(2) develop and require every grant or loan recipient
to implement an outreach program to inform historically
underutilized businesses of the actions necessary to apply for
procurement contracts under this section.
SECTION 2. Chapter 447, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 447.014 to read as follows:
Sec. 447.014. INCLUSION TASK FORCE FOR ENERGY INDUSTRY.
(a) In this section, "diverse" and "diversity" mean the inclusion
of different types of people, including:
(1) black Americans;
(2) Hispanic Americans;
(3) Native Americans;
(4) Asian Pacific Americans;
(5) women; and
(6) veterans, as defined by 38 U.S.C. Section 101(2),
who have suffered at least a 20 percent service-connected
disability, as defined by 38 U.S.C. Section 101(16).
(b) The State Energy Conservation Office shall establish an
inclusion task force to consider and make recommendations on
diversity in the energy industry, including diversity of corporate
governing boards and procurement from diverse businesses.
(c) The inclusion task force shall:
(1) identify and promote energy companies that are
actively engaged in diversity issues;
(2) explore the status of diverse representation on
energy company governing boards;
(3) recommend actions for the State Energy
Conservation Office to encourage energy companies to increase
procurement from diverse suppliers; and
(4) make recommendations to the office regarding
legislation to accomplish diversity as described by Subsection (b).
SECTION 3. Section 447.013, Government Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to a grant awarded or loan made on or after
the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the State Energy Conservation Office shall establish
the inclusion task force as required by Section 447.014, Government
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.