Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1837 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R9522 SCR-F
2	2	By: Hughes S.B. No. 1837
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to interim rates charged by electric utilities during a
10	10	rate suspension period.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 36.062, Utilities Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 36.062. CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN EXPENSES. The
15	15	regulatory authority may not consider for ratemaking purposes:
16	16	(1) an expenditure for legislative advocacy, made
17	17	directly or indirectly, including legislative advocacy expenses
18	18	included in trade association dues;
19	19	(2) a payment made to cover costs of an accident,
20	20	equipment failure, or negligence at a utility facility owned by a
21	21	person or governmental entity not selling power in this state,
22	22	other than a payment made under an insurance or risk-sharing
23	23	arrangement executed before the date of loss;
24	24	(3) an expenditure for costs of processing a refund or
25	25	credit under Section 36.1091 [36.110]; or
26	26	(4) any other expenditure, including an executive
27	27	salary, advertising expense, legal expense, or civil penalty or
28	28	fine, the regulatory authority finds to be unreasonable,
29	29	unnecessary, or not in the public interest.
30	30	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 36, Utilities Code, is
31	31	amended by adding Section 36.1091 to read as follows:
32	32	Sec. 36.1091. INTERIM RATES. (a) During a suspension
33	33	period ordered under Section 36.108, an electric utility may put an
34	34	interim rate into effect throughout the area in which the utility
35	35	sought to change its rates. The interim rate may not exceed the
36	36	proposed rate.
37	37	(b) An electric utility operating inside ERCOT that
38	38	implements an interim rate under this section must give notice to
39	39	each retail electric provider in the utility's service area at
40	40	least 45 days before the effective date of the interim rate.
41	41	(c) The electric utility:
42	42	(1) shall refund or credit against future bills money
43	43	collected under the interim rates in excess of the rate finally
44	44	ordered; and
45	45	(2) may surcharge bills to recover the amount by which
46	46	the money collected under the interim rates is less than the money
47	47	that would have been collected under the rate finally ordered.
48	48	SECTION 3. Section 36.211(b), Utilities Code, is amended to
49	49	read as follows:
50	50	(b) In a rate proceeding under Subchapter D, or if requested
51	51	by an electric utility in the utility's statement of intent
52	52	initiating a rate proceeding under Subchapter C, notwithstanding
53	53	Section 36.1091 [36.109(a)], the final rate set in the proceeding,
54	54	whether a rate increase or rate decrease, shall be made effective
55	55	for consumption on and after the 155th day after the date the
56	56	rate-filing package is filed.
57	57	SECTION 4. Sections 36.109 and 36.110, Utilities Code, are
58	58	repealed.
59	59	SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
60	60	a rate proceeding initiated on or after the effective date of this
61	61	Act. A rate proceeding initiated before the effective date of this
62	62	Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the proceeding was
63	63	initiated, and the former law is continued in effect for that
64	64	purpose.
65	65	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
66	66	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
67	67	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
68	68	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
69	69	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.