| 1 | 1 | | 87R11762 BRG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lopez H.B. No. 2898 |
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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 required after an intentional shutoff of |
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| 8 | 8 | | electric and water service. |
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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 17.011 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 17.011. NOTICE REQUIRED FOR INTENTIONAL OUTAGES. Not |
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| 13 | 13 | | later than three hours after an electric utility, municipally owned |
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| 14 | 14 | | utility, or electric cooperative intentionally shuts off electric |
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| 15 | 15 | | power to a customer in response to an emergency event, the utility |
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| 16 | 16 | | or cooperative shall notify the customer of the shutoff by e-mail or |
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| 17 | 17 | | text message. The notice must include the following information: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) the estimated time and date that the utility or |
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| 19 | 19 | | cooperative will restore electric power to the customer; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) whether the shutoff is part of a rolling outage. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended |
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| 22 | 22 | | by adding Section 13.1397 to read as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | Sec. 13.1397. NOTICE REQUIRED FOR INTENTIONAL SHUTOFF OF |
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| 24 | 24 | | SERVICE. Not later than three hours after a retail public utility |
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| 25 | 25 | | intentionally shuts off water service to a customer in response to |
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| 26 | 26 | | an emergency event, the utility shall notify the customer of the |
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| 27 | 27 | | shutoff by e-mail or text message. The notice must include the |
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| 28 | 28 | | estimated time and date that the utility will restore water service |
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| 29 | 29 | | to the customer. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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