| 1 | 1 | | 89R741 CXP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Blanco S.B. No. 907 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to bill payment assistance programs for utility customers |
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| 10 | 10 | | offered by certain municipalities. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 552, Local Government |
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| 13 | 13 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 552.9145 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 552.9145. CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR UTILITY |
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| 15 | 15 | | SYSTEM CUSTOMERS IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) In this section, |
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| 16 | 16 | | "utility system" has the meaning assigned by Section 552.914. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) This section applies only to a municipality described by |
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| 18 | 18 | | Section 1502.070(a)(2)(B), Government Code. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) The board of trustees vested with the management and |
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| 20 | 20 | | control of a municipality's utility system has exclusive authority |
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| 21 | 21 | | to establish a bill payment assistance program for utility system |
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| 22 | 22 | | customers: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) who the utility determines are low-income |
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| 24 | 24 | | customers whose service was disconnected for nonpayment by the |
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| 25 | 25 | | utility system three or more times during a calendar year; or |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) who are 75 years of age or older and have received |
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| 27 | 27 | | a notice of disconnection from service from the utility system for |
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| 28 | 28 | | nonpayment of bills. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 30 | 30 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 31 | 31 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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