| 1 | 1 | | 86R6079 JXC-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson S.B. No. 1694 |
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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 authorizing a regulatory authority to establish reduced |
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| 8 | 8 | | water and sewer utility rates funded by donations for the benefit of |
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| 9 | 9 | | certain low-income customers. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 13.182, Water Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 12 | | amending Subsection (b-1) and adding Subsection (b-2) to read as |
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| 13 | 13 | | follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b-1) In establishing a utility's rates, the regulatory |
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| 15 | 15 | | authority may authorize the utility to establish reduced water and |
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| 16 | 16 | | sewer rates for a minimal level of service to be provided solely to |
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| 17 | 17 | | a class of [elderly] customers who are 65 years of age or older, who |
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| 18 | 18 | | receive medical assistance under the medical assistance program |
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| 19 | 19 | | established under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, or who receive |
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| 20 | 20 | | benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program |
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| 21 | 21 | | established under Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, to ensure that |
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| 22 | 22 | | those customers receive that level of service at more affordable |
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| 23 | 23 | | rates. The regulatory authority may establish requirements for |
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| 24 | 24 | | determining the eligibility of customers to receive reduced rates |
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| 25 | 25 | | under this subsection. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b-2) The regulatory authority shall allow a utility to |
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| 27 | 27 | | establish a fund to receive donations to recover the costs of |
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| 28 | 28 | | providing the reduced rates under Subsection (b-1). A utility may |
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| 29 | 29 | | not recover those costs through charges to the utility's other |
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| 30 | 30 | | customer classes. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to |
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| 32 | 32 | | Section 13.182, Water Code, apply only to proceedings before a |
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| 33 | 33 | | regulatory authority regarding rates concerning an application |
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| 34 | 34 | | filed on or after January 1, 2020. Proceedings before a regulatory |
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| 35 | 35 | | authority regarding rates concerning an application filed before |
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| 36 | 36 | | January 1, 2020, are governed by the law in effect when the |
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| 37 | 37 | | application was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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| 38 | 38 | | that purpose. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) The Public Utility Commission of Texas and other |
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| 40 | 40 | | regulatory authorities shall adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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| 41 | 41 | | the changes in law made by this Act not later than December 31, |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2019. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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