| 1 | 1 | | By: Lambert H.B. No. 3534 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to rates charged by certain transmission and distribution |
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| 7 | 7 | | utilities to certain places of worship. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 36, Utilities Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 36.010 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 36.010. RATES FOR CERTAIN PLACES OF WORSHIP. (a) This |
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| 12 | 12 | | section only applies to a transmission and distribution utility |
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| 13 | 13 | | that: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) on January 1, 2017, operated solely in ERCOT; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) provides service to fewer than 100,000 meters. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A transmission and distribution utility providing |
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| 17 | 17 | | service to a customer that is a nonprofit place of worship shall |
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| 18 | 18 | | bill the customer on a kilowatt hour basis. If the customer has |
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| 19 | 19 | | separately metered facilities, the utility shall bill each of those |
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| 20 | 20 | | facilities on a kilowatt hour basis if the facilities operate |
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| 21 | 21 | | primarily during off-peak periods. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to |
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| 23 | 23 | | administer this section. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall |
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| 25 | 25 | | adopt rules as necessary to implement Section 36.010, Utilities |
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| 26 | 26 | | Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable. A transmission |
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| 27 | 27 | | and distribution utility shall modify its rates applicable to each |
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| 28 | 28 | | nonprofit place of worship in accordance with Section 36.010, |
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| 29 | 29 | | Utilities Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2018. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 3. (a) Notwithstanding any other law or agreement, |
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| 32 | 32 | | on the petition of a nonprofit place of worship, the Public Utility |
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| 33 | 33 | | Commission of Texas shall evaluate a charge for transmission or |
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| 34 | 34 | | distribution service charged by a transmission and distribution |
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| 35 | 35 | | utility to the place of worship on or after January 1, 2017, and |
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| 36 | 36 | | before January 1, 2018, to determine whether the charge complies |
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| 37 | 37 | | with Section 36.010, Utilities Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) If the Public Utility Commission of Texas determines |
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| 39 | 39 | | under Subsection (a) of this section that the charge does not comply |
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| 40 | 40 | | with Section 36.010, Utilities Code, as added by this Act, the |
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| 41 | 41 | | commission: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) by order shall require the utility to refund to the |
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| 43 | 43 | | nonprofit place of worship money collected from the charge in |
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| 44 | 44 | | excess of the charge fixed under Section 36.010, Utilities Code, as |
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| 45 | 45 | | added by this Act; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) may allow the place of worship to recover from the |
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| 47 | 47 | | utility any reasonable expenses incurred by the place of worship in |
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| 48 | 48 | | the process of submitting a petition under this section. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (c) This section expires and a nonprofit place of worship |
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| 50 | 50 | | may not submit a petition under this section after September 1, |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2019. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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