| 1 | 1 | | 85R5511 JXC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Perez H.B. No. 963 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to notice of bill payment assistance programs for certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | electric customers. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 39.9031 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 39.9031. NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. (a) A retail |
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| 13 | 13 | | electric provider, municipally owned utility, or electric |
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| 14 | 14 | | cooperative that provided reduced rates to customers using support |
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| 15 | 15 | | from the former system benefit fund shall provide to those |
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| 16 | 16 | | customers, at least one time, written notice of each bill payment |
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| 17 | 17 | | assistance program that might be available to assist those |
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| 18 | 18 | | customers. Unless the commission under Subsection (b) establishes |
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| 19 | 19 | | an alternative manner in which the notice may be sent, the retail |
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| 20 | 20 | | electric provider, municipally owned utility, or electric |
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| 21 | 21 | | cooperative shall include the notice with a bill sent to the |
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| 22 | 22 | | customer. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The commission may adopt rules establishing an |
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| 24 | 24 | | alternate method of providing the notice described by Subsection |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a). |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) A notice required by this section must be provided not |
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| 27 | 27 | | later than March 1, 2018. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (d) This section expires September 1, 2019. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 30 | 30 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 31 | 31 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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