| 1 | 1 | | 86R14048 GRM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Walle H.B. No. 2224 |
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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 public awareness of utility payment assistance programs |
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| 8 | 8 | | and consumer rights during a disaster. |
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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 A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 17.010 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 17.010. DISASTER BILLING AWARENESS. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | commission in cooperation with the Texas Division of Emergency |
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| 14 | 14 | | Management and the Railroad Commission of Texas shall: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) promote public awareness of bill payment |
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| 16 | 16 | | assistance available during a disaster for electric, gas, |
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| 17 | 17 | | telecommunications, water, and wastewater services; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) provide the public with information about billing |
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| 19 | 19 | | practices during a disaster to ensure that consumers of electric, |
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| 20 | 20 | | gas, telecommunications, water, and wastewater services have an |
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| 21 | 21 | | adequate understanding of their rights. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) Customer awareness efforts by the commission must be |
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| 23 | 23 | | conducted in English and Spanish and any other language as |
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| 24 | 24 | | necessary to further the purposes of Subsection (a). |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2019, the Texas |
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| 26 | 26 | | Division of Emergency Management, the Public Utility Commission of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Texas, and the Railroad Commission of Texas shall begin the public |
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| 28 | 28 | | awareness campaign required by Section 17.010, Utilities Code, as |
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| 29 | 29 | | added by this Act. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 31 | 31 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 32 | 32 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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