Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1877 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Schwertner S.B. No. 1877
2	2	Kolkhorst
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the authority of the Office of Public Utility Counsel to
10	10	access certain data.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 13.003, Utilities Code, is amended by
13	13	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
14	14	follows:
15	15	(a) The office:
16	16	(1) shall assess the effect of utility rate changes
17	17	and other regulatory actions on residential consumers in this
18	18	state;
19	19	(2) shall advocate in the office's own name a position
20	20	determined by the counsellor to be most advantageous to a
21	21	substantial number of residential consumers;
22	22	(3) may appear or intervene, as a party or otherwise,
23	23	as a matter of right on behalf of:
24	24	(A) residential consumers, as a class, in any
25	25	proceeding before the commission, including an alternative dispute
26	26	resolution proceeding; and
27	27	(B) small commercial consumers, as a class, in
28	28	any proceeding in which the counsellor determines that small
29	29	commercial consumers are in need of representation, including an
30	30	alternative dispute resolution proceeding;
31	31	(4) may initiate or intervene as a matter of right or
32	32	otherwise appear in a judicial proceeding:
33	33	(A) that involves an action taken by an
34	34	administrative agency in a proceeding, including an alternative
35	35	dispute resolution proceeding, in which the counsellor is
36	36	authorized to appear; or
37	37	(B) in which the counsellor determines that
38	38	residential electricity consumers or small commercial electricity
39	39	consumers are in need of representation;
40	40	(5) is entitled to:
41	41	(A) the same access as a party, other than
42	42	commission staff, to records gathered by the commission under
43	43	Section 14.204; and
44	44	(B) request and receive electricity market data,
45	45	including data related to reliability, generation resource
46	46	adequacy, long-term transmission planning, and transmission and
47	47	distribution system resiliency, from:
48	48	(i) the commission;
49	49	(ii) the independent organization
50	50	certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region; and
51	51	(iii) an electric utility;
52	52	(6) is entitled to discovery of any nonprivileged
53	53	matter that is relevant to the subject matter of a proceeding or
54	54	petition before the commission;
55	55	(7) may represent an individual residential or small
56	56	commercial consumer with respect to the consumer's disputed
57	57	complaint concerning utility services that is unresolved before the
58	58	commission;
59	59	(8) may recommend legislation to the legislature that
60	60	the office determines would positively affect the interests of
61	61	residential and small commercial consumers; and
62	62	(9) may advise persons who are interested parties for
63	63	purposes of Section 37.054 on procedural matters related to
64	64	proceedings before the commission on an application for a
65	65	certificate of convenience and necessity filed under Section
66	66	37.053.
67	67	(a-1) Information submitted to the office under Subsection
68	68	(a)(5)(B) is confidential and not subject to disclosure by the
69	69	office under Chapter 552, Government Code, if that information
70	70	would be confidential and not subject to disclosure by the
71	71	commission under Chapter 552, Government Code, or other law if the
72	72	commission held the information.
73	73	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.