By: Whitmire S.B. No. 1976
(Paddie)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to benefit programs provided by retail electric providers
and certificated telecommunications utilities for low-income
customers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 17.007, Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 17.007. IDENTIFICATION [ELIGIBILITY] PROCESS FOR
CUSTOMER SERVICE BENEFITS [DISCOUNTS]. (a) The Health and Human
Services Commission, on request of the commission, shall assist in
developing an automatic process for identifying low-income
customers to retail electric providers and certificated
telecommunications utilities to enable those providers and
utilities to offer customer service, discounts, bill payment
assistance, or other methods of assistance [The commission by rule
shall provide for an integrated eligibility process for customer
service discounts, including discounts under Sections 39.903 and
55.015].
(b) The commission and the Health and Human Services
Commission shall continue the memorandum of understanding entered
into by those agencies in effect on January 1, 2017, that
establishes the respective duties of those agencies in relation to
the automatic process, and may amend the memorandum of
understanding as necessary to achieve the goals of this section.
(c) The commission may not require a retail electric
provider or a certificated telecommunications utility to offer
customer service, discounts, bill payment assistance, targeted
bill messaging, or other benefits for which the provider or utility
is not reimbursed.
(d) The commission may not submit a request to the Health
and Human Services Commission to provide for a process to identify
low-income electric customers for a fiscal year unless:
(1) the commission receives a request from one or more
retail electric providers not later than July 31 of the previous
fiscal year for a list of low-income electric customers to be
developed; and
(2) each retail electric provider that submits a
request to the commission under Subdivision (1) agrees to reimburse
the commission for the cost of development of the list on terms
agreed to by the commission and the provider.
SECTION 2. Section 55.015(b), Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The commission shall adopt rules providing for
automatic enrollment to receive lifeline service for eligible
consumers. The Health and Human Services Commission [Texas
Department of Human Services], on request of the commission, shall
assist in the adoption and implementation of those rules. The
commission and the Health and Human Services Commission [Texas
Department of Human Services] shall enter into a memorandum of
understanding establishing the respective duties of those agencies
[the commission and department] in relation to the automatic
enrollment.
SECTION 3. Section 56.021, Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 56.021. UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND ESTABLISHED. The
commission shall adopt and enforce rules requiring local exchange
companies to establish a universal service fund to:
(1) assist telecommunications providers in providing
basic local telecommunications service at reasonable rates in high
cost rural areas under two plans:
(A) the Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan
(16 T.A.C. Section 26.403); and
(B) the Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange
Company Universal Service Plan (16 T.A.C. Section 26.404);
(2) reimburse the telecommunications carrier that
provides the statewide telecommunications relay access service
under Subchapter D;
(3) finance the specialized telecommunications
assistance program established under Subchapter E;
(4) reimburse the department and the commission for
costs incurred in implementing this chapter and Chapter 57;
(5) reimburse a telecommunications carrier providing
lifeline service as provided by 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E, as
amended;
(6) finance the implementation and administration of
the identification process under [an integrated eligibility
process created under] Section 17.007 for [customer service
discounts relating to] telecommunications services[, including
outreach expenses the commission determines are reasonable and
necessary];
(7) reimburse a designated provider under Subchapter
F;
(8) reimburse a successor utility under Subchapter G;
and
(9) finance the program established under Subchapter
H.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.