89R1270 ANG-D
By: Bell of Montgomery H.B. No. 704
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the disconnection of service provided to residential
customers by certain utilities and propane gas distribution system
retailers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 39.101(h), Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(h) A retail electric provider, power generation company,
aggregator, or other entity that provides retail electric service
may not disconnect service to a residential customer on a weekend
day, on a holiday officially observed by the State of Texas, on a
day preceding a weekend day or holiday, or during an extreme weather
emergency [or on a weekend day]. The entity providing service
shall defer collection of the full payment of bills that are due
during an extreme weather emergency until after the emergency is
over and shall work with customers to establish a pay schedule for
deferred bills. For purposes of this subsection, "extreme weather
emergency" means a period when:
(1) the previous day's highest temperature did not
exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted to
remain at or below that level for the next 24 hours according to the
nearest National Weather Service reports; or
(2) the National Weather Service issues a heat
advisory for any county in the relevant service territory, or when
such an advisory has been issued on any one of the previous two
calendar days.
SECTION 2. Section 104.258(b), Utilities Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) A provider may not disconnect natural gas service to a
residential customer on a weekend day, on a holiday officially
observed by the State of Texas, or on a day preceding a weekend day
or holiday unless personnel of the provider are available on that
day to take payments and reconnect service.
SECTION 3. Section 141.004(a), Utilities Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) A distribution system retailer may not disconnect
propane gas service to a residential customer on a weekend day, on a
[or] holiday officially observed by the State of Texas, or on a day
preceding a weekend day or holiday unless personnel of the
distribution system retailer are available on that day to receive
payments and reconnect service.
SECTION 4. Section 13.151(b), Water Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) A retail public utility that is required to possess a
certificate of public convenience and necessity or a district or
affected county that furnishes retail water or sewer utility
service:
(1) may not disconnect service on a weekend day, on a
holiday officially observed by the State of Texas, on a day
preceding a weekend day or holiday, or during an extreme weather
emergency;
(2) may [shall] not impose late fees [or disconnect
service] for nonpayment of bills that are due during an extreme
weather emergency until after the emergency is over; and
(3) shall work with customers that request to
establish a payment schedule for unpaid bills that are due during
the extreme weather emergency.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.