Texas 2021 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4492 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 05/07/2021

                    By: Paddie H.B. No. 4492


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to securitizing costs associated with electric markets;
 granting authority to issue bonds.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Chapter 31, Utilities Code, is amended by adding
 Subchapter C to read as follows:
 SUBCHAPTER C. SECURITIZATION CORPORATION
 Sec. 31.101.  PURPOSE. (a)  The purpose of this subchapter
 is to create a corporation dedicated to financing costs that are
 eligible for securitization as provided by Subchapter M, Chapter
 39, to securitize costs not securitized under Subchapter D, Chapter
 41. An entity authorized to securitize costs under Subchapter M,
 Chapter 39, subject to any other requirements applicable to the
 authorization, may request that the Texas Electric Securitization
 Corporation conduct the financing on behalf of the entity.
 (b)  The Texas Electric Securitization Corporation is
 created under this subchapter as a special purpose public
 corporation and instrumentality of the state for the essential
 public purpose of providing a lower-cost financing mechanism for
 securitization in the manner provided by this subchapter.
 (c)  Bonds issued under this subchapter will be the
 obligation solely of the issuer and the corporation as borrower, if
 applicable, and will not be a debt of or a pledge of the faith and
 credit of the state.
 (d)  Bonds issued under this subchapter shall be nonrecourse
 to the credit or any assets of the state and the commission.
 Sec. 31.102.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
 (1)  "Corporation" means the Texas Electric
 Securitization Corporation.
 (2)  "Issuer" means the corporation or any other
 corporation, public trust, public instrumentality, or entity that
 issues bonds approved by a financing order.
 Sec. 31.103.  CREATION OF CORPORATION. (a) The corporation
 is a nonprofit corporation and instrumentality of this state, and
 shall perform the essential governmental function of financing
 eligible costs in accordance with this subchapter. The corporation:
 (1)  shall perform only functions consistent with this
 subchapter;
 (2)  shall exercise its powers through a governing
 board;
 (3)  is subject to the regulation of the commission;
 and
 (4)  has a legal existence as a public corporate body
 and instrumentality of the state separate and distinct from the
 state.
 (b)  Assets of the corporation may not be considered part of
 any state fund. The state may not budget for or provide any state
 money to the corporation. The debts, claims, obligations, and
 liabilities of the corporation may not be considered to be a debt of
 the state or a pledge of its credit.
 (c)  The corporation must be self-funded. Before the
 imposition of charges to recover securitized amounts, the
 corporation may accept and expend for its operating expenses money
 that may be received from any source, including financing
 agreements with the state, a commercial bank, or another entity to:
 (1)  finance the corporation's obligations until the
 corporation receives sufficient property to cover its operating
 expenses as financing costs; and
 (2)  repay any short-term borrowing under any such
 financing agreements.
 (d)  The corporation has the powers, rights, and privileges
 provided for a corporation organized under Chapter 22, Business
 Organizations Code, subject to the express exceptions and
 limitations provided by this subchapter.
 (e)  An organizer selected by the executive director of the
 commission shall prepare the certificate of formation of the
 corporation under Chapters 3 and 22, Business Organizations Code.
 The certificate of formation must be consistent with the provisions
 of this subchapter.
 (f)  State officers and agencies are authorized to render
 services to the corporation, within their respective functions, as
 may be requested by the commission or the corporation.
 (g)  The corporation or an issuer may:
 (1)  retain professionals, financial advisors, and
 accountants the corporation or issuer considers necessary to
 fulfill the corporation's or issuer's duties under this subchapter;
 and
 (2)  determine the duties and compensation of a person
 retained under Subdivision (1), subject to the approval of the
 commission.
 (h)  The corporation is governed by a board of five directors
 appointed by the commission for two-year terms.
 (i)  An official action of the board requires the favorable
 vote of a majority of the directors present and voting at a meeting
 of the board.
 Sec. 31.104.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF CORPORATION. (a) The
 corporation, in each instance subject to the prior authorization of
 the commission, shall participate in the financial transactions
 authorized by this subchapter. The corporation may not engage in
 business activities except those activities provided for by this
 subchapter and those ancillary and incidental to those activities.
 The corporation or an issuer may not apply proceeds of bonds or
 charges to a purpose not specified in a financing order, to a
 purpose in an amount that exceeds the amount allowed for the purpose
 in the order, or to a purpose in contravention of the order.
 (b)  The board of the corporation, under the provisions of
 this subchapter, may employ or retain persons as are necessary to
 perform the duties of the corporation.
 (c)  The corporation may:
 (1)  acquire, sell, pledge, or transfer property as
 necessary to effect the purposes of this subchapter and, in
 connection with the action, agree to such terms and conditions as
 the corporation deems necessary and proper, consistent with the
 terms of a financing order:
 (A)  to acquire property and to pledge such
 property, and any other collateral:
 (i)  to secure payment of bonds issued by the
 corporation, together with payment of any other qualified costs; or
 (ii)  to secure repayment of any borrowing
 from any other issuer of bonds; or
 (B)  to sell the property to another issuer, which
 may in turn pledge that property, together with any other
 collateral, to the repayment of bonds issued by the issuer together
 with any other qualified costs;
 (2)  issue bonds on terms and conditions consistent
 with a financing order;
 (3)  borrow funds:
 (A)  from an issuer of bonds to acquire property,
 and pledge that property to the repayment of any borrowing from an
 issuer, together with any related qualified costs, all on terms and
 conditions consistent with a financing order; or
 (B)  for initial operating expenses;
 (4)  sue or be sued in its corporate name;
 (5)  intervene as a party before the commission or any
 court in this state in any matter involving the corporation's
 powers and duties;
 (6)  negotiate and become a party to contracts as
 necessary, convenient, or desirable to carry out the purposes of
 this subchapter; and
 (7)  engage in corporate actions or undertakings that
 are permitted for nonprofit corporations in this state and that are
 not prohibited by, or contrary to, this subchapter.
 (d)  The corporation shall maintain separate accounts and
 records relating to each entity that collects charges for all
 charges, revenues, assets, liabilities, and expenses relating to
 the entity's related bond issuances.
 (e)  The board of the corporation may not authorize any
 rehabilitation, liquidation, or dissolution of the corporation and
 a rehabilitation, liquidation, or dissolution of the corporation
 may not take effect as long as any bonds are outstanding unless
 adequate protection and provision have been made for the payment of
 the bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of the
 bonds. In the event of any rehabilitation, liquidation, or
 dissolution, the assets of the corporation must be applied first to
 pay all debts, liabilities, and obligations of the corporation,
 including the establishment of reasonable reserves for any
 contingent liabilities or obligations, and all remaining funds of
 the corporation must be applied and distributed as provided by an
 order of the commission.
 (f)  Before the date that is two years and one day after the
 date that the corporation no longer has any payment obligation with
 respect to any bonds, including any obligation to an issuer of any
 bonds outstanding, the corporation may not file a voluntary
 petition under federal bankruptcy law and neither any public
 official nor any organization, entity, or other person may
 authorize the corporation to be or to become a debtor under federal
 bankruptcy law during that period. The state covenants that it will
 not limit or alter the denial of authority under this subsection or
 Subsection (e), and the provisions of this subsection and
 Subsection (e) are hereby made a part of the contractual obligation
 that is subject to the state pledge set forth in Section 39.609.
 (g)  The corporation shall prepare and submit to the
 commission for approval an annual operating budget. If requested by
 the commission, the corporation shall prepare and submit an annual
 report containing the annual operating and financial statements of
 the corporation and any other appropriate information.
 Sec. 31.105.  COMMISSION REGULATION OF CORPORATION. The
 commission shall regulate the corporation as provided by this
 subchapter.  Notwithstanding the regulation authorized by this
 section, the corporation is not a public utility.
 Sec. 31.106.  FINANCING ORDER. (a) This section applies to
 the commission's issuance of a financing order under this
 subchapter.
 (b)  Except as otherwise specifically provided by this
 subchapter, the provisions of this subtitle that address the
 commission's issuance of a financing order under other provisions
 of this subtitle also apply to the commission's issuance of a
 financing order under this subchapter.
 (c)  The corporation and any issuer must be a party to the
 commission's proceedings that address the issuance of a financing
 order along with the entity requesting securitization.
 (d)  In addition to the other applicable requirements of this
 subtitle, a financing order issued under this subchapter must:
 (1)  require the sale, assignment, or other transfer to
 the corporation of certain specified property created by the
 financing order and, following that sale, assignment, or transfer,
 require that charges paid under any financing order be created,
 assessed, and collected as the property of the corporation, subject
 to subsequent sale, assignment, or transfer by the corporation as
 authorized under this subchapter;
 (2)  authorize:
 (A)  the issuance of bonds by the corporation
 secured by a pledge of specified property, and the application of
 the proceeds of those bonds, net of issuance costs, to the
 acquisition of the property from the entity requesting
 securitization; or
 (B)  the acquisition of specified property from
 the entity requesting securitization by the corporation, financed:
 (i)  by a loan by an issuer to the
 corporation of the proceeds of bonds, net of issuance costs; or
 (ii)  by the acquisition by an issuer from
 the corporation of the property and in each case the pledge of the
 property to the repayment of the loan or bonds, as applicable; and
 (3)  authorize the entity requesting securitization to
 serve as collection agent to collect the charges and transfer the
 collected charges to the corporation, the issuer, or a financing
 party, as appropriate.
 (e)  After issuance of the financing order, the corporation
 shall arrange for the issuance of bonds as specified in the
 financing order by the corporation or another issuer selected by
 the corporation and approved by the commission.
 (f)  Bonds issued pursuant to a financing order under this
 section are secured only by the related property and any other funds
 pledged under the bond documents. No assets of the state or the
 entity requesting securitization are subject to claims by the
 holders of the bonds. Following assignment of the property, the
 entity requesting securitization does not have any beneficial
 interest or claim of right in such charges or in any property.
 Sec. 31.107.  SEVERABILITY. Effective on the date the first
 bonds are issued under this subchapter, if any provision in this
 title or portion of this title is held to be invalid or is
 invalidated, superseded, replaced, repealed, or expires for any
 reason, that occurrence does not affect the validity or
 continuation of this subchapter or any other provision of this
 title that is relevant to the issuance, administration, payment,
 retirement, or refunding of authorized securitization bonds or to
 any actions of an entity requesting securitization under this
 subchapter, its successors, an assignee, a collection agent, the
 corporation, an issuer, or a financing party, and those provisions
 shall remain in full force and effect.
 SECTION 2.  Section 39.002, Utilities Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 39.002.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter, other than
 Subchapter M and Sections 39.151, 39.1516, 39.155, 39.157(e),
 39.203, 39.904, 39.9051, 39.9052, and 39.914(e), does not apply to
 a municipally owned utility or an electric cooperative. Sections
 39.157(e), 39.203, and 39.904, however, apply only to a municipally
 owned utility or an electric cooperative that is offering customer
 choice. If there is a conflict between the specific provisions of
 this chapter and any other provisions of this title, except for
 Chapters 40 and 41, the provisions of this chapter control.
 SECTION 3.  Section 39.151, Utilities Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (j-1) to read as follows:
 (j-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (j), the independent
 system operator in ERCOT may not reduce payments to or charge uplift
 short-paid amounts from a municipally owned utility that becomes
 subject to the jurisdiction of the independent system operator in
 ERCOT on or after June 1, 2021, and before December 30, 2021,
 related to a default on a payment obligation by a market participant
 that occurred before June 1, 2021.
 SECTION 4.  Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is amended by adding
 Subchapter M to read as follows:
 SUBCHAPTER M.  SECURITIZATION FOR INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION
 Sec. 39.601.  PURPOSE; USE OF PROCEEDS; BOND CHARGES. (a)
 The purpose of this subchapter is to enable the independent
 organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power
 region to use securitization financing to fund substantial default
 balances that would otherwise be uplifted to the wholesale market
 as a result of market participants defaulting on amounts owed after
 an extreme pricing event and extraordinary ancillary service and
 reliability deployment price adder charges that were uplifted on a
 load ratio share basis.  Securitization will allow wholesale market
 participants who are owed money to be paid in a more timely manner,
 while allowing the balance to be repaid over time at a low carrying
 cost. This subchapter and Subchapter D, Chapter 41, do not change,
 alter, or reduce the obligation of a market participant to timely
 and fully pay the debts or obligations of the market participant to
 the independent organization.
 (b)  The proceeds of bonds issued for the purpose described
 by Subsection (a) must be used solely for the purpose of financing
 default balances that otherwise would be or have been uplifted to
 the wholesale market and uplift balances that were allocated to all
 load-serving entities on a load ratio share basis as a result of
 usage during the period of emergency. The commission shall ensure
 that securitization provides tangible and quantifiable benefits to
 wholesale market participants, greater than would have been
 achieved absent the issuance of bonds.
 (c)  The commission shall ensure that the structuring and
 pricing of the bonds result in the lowest bond charges consistent
 with market conditions and the terms of the financing order. The
 present value calculation shall use a discount rate equal to the
 proposed interest rate on the bonds.
 (d)  The commission shall require that all market
 participants, including market participants not otherwise subject
 to this subchapter, pay or make provision for the full and prompt
 payment to the independent organization certified under Section
 39.151 for the ERCOT power region of all amounts owed to the
 independent organization to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as
 a market participant in the ERCOT power region. The commission and
 the independent organization shall pursue collection in full of
 amounts owed to the independent organization by any market
 participant to reduce the qualifying costs that would otherwise be
 borne by other market participants or their customers.
 Sec. 39.602.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
 (1)  "Assignee" means any individual, corporation, or
 other legally recognized entity to which an interest in default or
 uplift property is transferred, other than as security.
 (2)  "Default charges" means nonbypassable amounts to
 be charged on all wholesale market transactions administered by the
 independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the
 ERCOT power region, approved by the commission under a financing
 order to recover qualified costs, that shall be collected by the
 independent organization, its successors, an assignee, or other
 collection agents as provided by the financing order.
 (3)  "Financing order" means an order of the commission
 approving the issuance of bonds and the creation of charges for the
 recovery of qualified costs.
 (4)  "Financing party" means a holder of bonds,
 including trustees, collateral agents, and other persons acting for
 the benefit of the holder.
 (5)  "Independent organization" means the independent
 organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power
 region.
 (6)  "Load-serving entity" means a municipally owned
 utility, an electric cooperative, or a retail electric provider.
 (7)  "Period of emergency" means the period beginning
 12:00 a.m., February 12, 2021, and ending 11:59 p.m., February 20,
 2021.
 (8)  "Qualified costs" means a default balance
 resulting from the period of emergency that otherwise would be or
 has been uplifted to other wholesale market participants, together
 with the costs of issuing, supporting, and servicing bonds and any
 costs of retiring and refunding existing debt in connection with
 the issuance of the bonds.
 (9)  "Uplift charges" means charges for reliability
 deployment price adders and ancillary services costs in excess of
 the commission's system-wide offer cap that were uplifted to
 load-serving entities on a load ratio share basis due to energy
 consumption during the period of emergency. The term includes only
 uplifted amounts and does not include amounts that were part of the
 prevailing settlement point price.
 Sec. 39.603.  FINANCING ORDERS; TERMS. (a) On application
 of the independent organization, the commission may adopt a
 financing order to recover the costs of a substantial default or
 uplift balance of qualified costs resulting from a significant
 pricing event on making a finding that such financing is needed to
 preserve the integrity of the wholesale market and the public
 interest after considering:
 (1)  the interests of wholesale market participants who
 are owed balances; and
 (2)  the potential effects of uplifting those balances
 without a financing vehicle.
 (b)  The financing order must detail the amounts to be
 recovered and the period over which the nonbypassable default or
 uplift charges shall be recovered. The period may not exceed 30
 years. If an amount determined under this section is subject to
 judicial review of a commission order, a bankruptcy proceeding, or
 another type of litigation at the time of the securitization
 proceeding, the financing order shall include an adjustment
 mechanism requiring the independent organization to adjust its
 default or uplift charges in a manner that would refund, over the
 remaining life of the bonds, any overpayments resulting from
 securitization of amounts in excess of the amount resulting from a
 final determination after completion of all appellate reviews. The
 adjustment mechanism may not affect the stream of revenue available
 to service the bonds. An adjustment may not be made under this
 subsection until all appellate reviews have been completed,
 including appellate reviews following a commission decision on
 remand of its original orders, if applicable.
 (c)  Nonbypassable default charges must be collected and
 allocated among wholesale market participants using the same
 allocation methodology described in the protocols of the
 independent organization, as they existed on March 1, 2021. The
 rate associated with the nonbypassable default charges must be
 assessed on all wholesale market participants, including market
 participants who are in default but still participating in the
 wholesale market, and must be based on updated transaction data to
 prevent market participants from engaging in behavior designed to
 avoid the nonbypassable default charges.
 (d)  Notwithstanding another provision of this subchapter,
 nonbypassable default charges may not be collected from or
 allocated to a market participant that:
 (1)  would otherwise be subject to an uplift charge
 solely as a result of acting as a central counterparty
 clearinghouse in wholesale market transactions in the ERCOT power
 region; and
 (2)  is regulated as a derivatives clearing
 organization, as defined by the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C.
 Section 1a).
 (e)  Nonbypassable uplift charges must be allocated to all
 load-serving entities on a load ratio share basis, excluding the
 load of entities that have opted out under Subsection (f).
 (f)  The commission shall develop a process that allows a
 load-serving entity and any customer whose demand is greater than
 one megawatt and is served by a retail electric provider to opt out
 of the uplift charges by paying in full all invoices owed for usage
 during the period of emergency. Load-serving entities and
 individual customers that opt out may not receive any proceeds from
 the uplift bonds.
 (g)  A financing order becomes effective in accordance with
 its terms and the financing order, together with the default or
 uplift charges authorized in the order, shall be irrevocable and
 not subject to reduction, impairment, or adjustment by further
 action of the commission after it takes effect.
 (h)  The commission shall issue a financing order not later
 than the 90th day after the date the independent organization files
 a request for the financing order under Subsection (a) or (j).
 (i)  A financing order is not subject to rehearing by the
 commission. A financing order may be reviewed by appeal by a party
 to the proceeding to a Travis County district court filed not later
 than the 15th day after the date the financing order is signed by
 the commission. The judgment of the district court may be reviewed
 only by direct appeal to the Supreme Court of Texas filed not later
 than the 15th day after the date of the entry of judgment. All
 appeals shall be heard and determined by the district court and the
 Supreme Court of Texas as expeditiously as possible with lawful
 precedence over other matters. Review on appeal shall be based
 solely on the record before the commission and briefs to the court
 and shall be limited to whether the financing order conforms to the
 constitution and laws of this state and the United States and is
 within the authority of the commission under this chapter.
 (j)  At the request of the independent organization, the
 commission may adopt a financing order providing for retiring and
 refunding the bonds on making a finding that the future default or
 uplift charges required to service the new bonds, including
 transaction costs, will be less than the future default or uplift
 charges required to service the bonds being refunded. On the
 retirement of the refunded bonds, the commission shall adjust the
 related default or uplift charges accordingly.
 Sec. 39.604.  PROPERTY RIGHTS. (a) The rights and interests
 of the independent organization or its successor under a financing
 order, including the right to impose, collect, and receive default
 or uplift charges authorized in the order, shall be only contract
 rights until they are first transferred to an assignee or pledged in
 connection with the issuance of bonds, at which time they will
 become default or uplift property, as described by Subsection (b).
 (b)  Default or uplift property shall constitute a present
 property right for purposes of contracts concerning the sale or
 pledge of property, even though the imposition and collection of
 default or uplift charges depends on further acts of the
 independent organization or others that have not yet occurred. The
 financing order shall remain in effect and the property shall
 continue to exist for the same period as the pledge of the state
 described by Section 39.609.
 (c)  All revenues and collections resulting from default or
 uplift charges shall constitute proceeds only of the default or
 uplift property arising from the financing order.
 Sec. 39.605.  INTEREST NOT SUBJECT TO SETOFF. The interest
 of an assignee or pledgee in default or uplift property and in the
 revenues and collections arising from that property are not subject
 to setoff, counterclaim, surcharge, or defense by the independent
 organization or any other person or in connection with the
 bankruptcy of a wholesale market participant or the independent
 organization. A financing order shall remain in effect and
 unabated notwithstanding the bankruptcy of the independent
 organization, its successors, or assignees.
 Sec. 39.606.  DEFAULT AND UPLIFT CHARGES NONBYPASSABLE. A
 financing order shall include terms ensuring that the imposition
 and collection of default or uplift charges authorized in the order
 shall be nonbypassable, other than uplift charges paid under
 Section 39.603(f).
 Sec. 39.607.  TRUE-UP. A financing order shall include a
 mechanism requiring that default or uplift charges be reviewed and
 adjusted at least annually, not later than the 45th day after the
 anniversary date of the issuance of the bonds, to:
 (1)  correct over-collections or under-collections of
 the preceding 12 months; and
 (2)  ensure the expected recovery of amounts sufficient
 to timely provide all payments of debt service and other required
 amounts and charges in connection with the bonds.
 Sec. 39.608.  SECURITY INTERESTS; ASSIGNMENT; COMMINGLING;
 DEFAULT. (a) Default or uplift property does not constitute an
 account or general intangible under Section 9.106, Business &
 Commerce Code. The creation, granting, perfection, and enforcement
 of liens and security interests in default or uplift property are
 governed by this section and not by the Business & Commerce Code.
 (b)  A valid and enforceable lien and security interest in
 default or uplift property may be created only by a financing order
 and the execution and delivery of a security agreement with a
 financing party in connection with the issuance of bonds. The lien
 and security interest shall attach automatically from the time that
 value is received for the bonds and, on perfection through the
 filing of notice with the secretary of state in accordance with the
 rules prescribed under Subsection (d), shall be a continuously
 perfected lien and security interest in the default or uplift
 property and all proceeds of the property, whether accrued or not,
 shall have priority in the order of filing and take precedence over
 any subsequent judicial or other lien creditor. If notice is filed
 before the 10th day after the date value is received for the default
 bonds, the security interest shall be perfected retroactive to the
 date value was received. Otherwise, the security interest shall be
 perfected as of the date of filing.
 (c)  Transfer of an interest in default or uplift property to
 an assignee shall be perfected against all third parties, including
 subsequent judicial or other lien creditors, when the financing
 order becomes effective, transfer documents have been delivered to
 the assignee, and a notice of that transfer has been filed in
 accordance with the rules adopted under Subsection (d). However, if
 notice of the transfer has not been filed in accordance with this
 subsection before the 10th day after the delivery of transfer
 documentation, the transfer of the interest is not perfected
 against third parties until the notice is filed.
 (d)  The secretary of state shall implement this section by
 establishing and maintaining a separate system of records for the
 filing of notices under this section and adopting the rules for
 those filings based on Chapter 9, Business & Commerce Code, adapted
 to this subchapter and using the terms defined by this subchapter.
 (e)  The priority of a lien and security interest perfected
 under this section is not impaired by any later modification of the
 financing order under Section 39.607 or by the commingling of funds
 arising from default or uplift charges with other funds, and any
 other security interest that may apply to those funds shall be
 terminated when they are transferred to a segregated account for
 the assignee or a financing party. If default or uplift property
 has been transferred to an assignee, any proceeds of that property
 shall be held in trust for the assignee.
 (f)  If a default or termination occurs under the bonds, the
 financing parties or their representatives may foreclose on or
 otherwise enforce their lien and security interest in any property
 as if they were secured parties under Chapter 9, Business & Commerce
 Code, and the commission may order that amounts arising from
 default or uplift charges be transferred to a separate account for
 the financing parties' benefit, to which their lien and security
 interest shall apply. On application by or on behalf of the
 financing parties, a district court of Travis County shall order
 the sequestration and payment to them of revenues arising from the
 default or uplift charges.
 Sec. 39.609.  PLEDGE OF STATE. Default bonds are not a debt
 or obligation of the state and are not a charge on its full faith and
 credit or taxing power. The state pledges, however, for the benefit
 and protection of financing parties and the independent
 organization that it will not take or permit any action that would
 impair the value of default or uplift property, or reduce, alter, or
 impair the default or uplift charges to be imposed, collected, and
 remitted to financing parties, until the principal, interest and
 premium, and any other charges incurred and contracts to be
 performed in connection with the related bonds have been paid and
 performed in full. Any party issuing bonds under this subchapter is
 authorized to include this pledge in any documentation relating to
 those bonds.
 Sec. 39.610.  TAX EXEMPTION. Transactions involving the
 transfer and ownership of default or uplift property and the
 receipt of default or uplift charges are exempt from state and local
 income, sales, franchise, gross receipts, and other taxes or
 similar charges.
 Sec. 39.611.  NOT PUBLIC UTILITY. An assignee or financing
 party may not be considered to be a public utility or person
 providing electric service solely by virtue of the transactions
 described in this subchapter.
 Sec. 39.612.  SEVERABILITY. Effective on the date the first
 bonds are issued under this subchapter, if any provision in this
 title or portion of this title is held to be invalid or is
 invalidated, superseded, replaced, repealed, or expires for any
 reason, that occurrence does not affect the validity or
 continuation of this subchapter or any other provision of this
 title that is relevant to the issuance, administration, payment,
 retirement, or refunding of bonds or to any actions of the
 independent organization, its successors, an assignee, a
 collection agent, or a financing party, which shall remain in full
 force and effect.
 Sec. 39.613.  CUSTOMER CHARGES. All load-serving entities
 that receive offsets to specific uplift charges from the
 independent organization under this subchapter must adjust
 customer invoices to reflect the offsets for any charges that were
 or would otherwise be passed through to customers under the terms of
 service with the load-serving entity, including by providing a
 refund for any offset charges that were previously paid. An
 electric cooperative, including an electric cooperative that
 elects to receive offsets, shall not otherwise become subject to
 rate regulation by the commission and receipt of offsets does not
 affect the applicability of Chapter 41 to an electric cooperative.
 SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect on the date on which Senate
 Bill No. 1580, House Bill No. 3544, or other similar legislation of
 the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, relating to the use of
 securitization by electric cooperatives to address weather-related
 extraordinary costs and expenses becomes law.