| 1 | 1 | | 87R11230 JXC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Larson H.B. No. 3543 |
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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 bill payment assistance for certain utility bills after |
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| 8 | 8 | | 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 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. DISASTER BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | comptroller shall establish a program to provide bill payment |
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| 14 | 14 | | assistance using state money appropriated for that purpose to |
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| 15 | 15 | | retail customers of municipally owned utilities, electric |
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| 16 | 16 | | cooperatives, and retail electric providers in the ERCOT power |
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| 17 | 17 | | region. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The program must: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) provide assistance only for unusually high bills |
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| 20 | 20 | | for services provided after February 13, 2021, and before February |
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| 21 | 21 | | 19, 2021; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) establish criteria for determining whether a bill |
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| 23 | 23 | | is unusually high; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) allow a customer to apply for assistance to the |
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| 25 | 25 | | municipally owned utility, electric cooperative, or retail |
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| 26 | 26 | | electric provider that served the customer during the time period |
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| 27 | 27 | | in Subdivision (1); and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) require a municipally owned utility, electric |
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| 29 | 29 | | cooperative, or retail electric provider that receives an |
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| 30 | 30 | | application under Subdivision (3) to: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) submit the application to the comptroller; |
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| 32 | 32 | | and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (B) provide to the customer any assistance sent |
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| 34 | 34 | | by the comptroller to the utility, cooperative, or provider in |
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| 35 | 35 | | response to the application. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The comptroller shall consult with the commission when |
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| 37 | 37 | | adopting any rules needed to implement this section. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (d) The commission may enforce a rule adopted by the |
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| 39 | 39 | | comptroller to implement this section. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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