| 1 | | - | H.B. No. 3689 |
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| 1 | + | By: Cortez (Senate Sponsor - Gutierrez) H.B. No. 3689 |
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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021; |
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| 3 | + | May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Water, |
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| 4 | + | Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 13, 2021, reported favorably by |
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| 5 | + | the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 13, 2021, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 4 | 10 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 11 | | relating to the appeal of rates charged for water or sewer service |
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| 6 | 12 | | by certain retail public utilities. |
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| 7 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 13.043(j), Water Code, is amended to |
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| 9 | 15 | | read as follows: |
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| 10 | 16 | | (j) In an appeal under this section, the utility commission |
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| 11 | 17 | | shall ensure that every appealed rate is [made, demanded, or |
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| 12 | 18 | | received by any retail public utility or by any two or more retail |
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| 13 | 19 | | public utilities jointly shall be] just and reasonable. Rates |
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| 14 | 20 | | shall not be unreasonably preferential, prejudicial, or |
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| 15 | 21 | | discriminatory but shall be sufficient, equitable, and consistent |
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| 16 | 22 | | in application to each class of customers. The utility commission |
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| 17 | 23 | | shall use a methodology that preserves the financial integrity of |
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| 18 | 24 | | the retail public utility. For agreements between municipalities |
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| 19 | 25 | | the utility commission shall consider the terms of any wholesale |
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| 20 | 26 | | water or sewer service agreement in an appellate rate proceeding. |
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| 21 | 27 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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| 22 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 23 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 24 | | - | I certify that H.B. No. 3689 was passed by the House on April |
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| 25 | | - | 30, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 129, Nays 12, 2 present, not |
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| 26 | | - | voting. |
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| 27 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 28 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 29 | | - | I certify that H.B. No. 3689 was passed by the Senate on May |
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| 30 | | - | 19, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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| 31 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 32 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 33 | | - | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 34 | | - | Date |
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| 35 | | - | _____________________ |
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| 36 | | - | Governor |
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| 28 | + | * * * * * |
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