| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the sharing and protection of certain utility |
|
|
proprietary customer information. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 17.011 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 17.011. SHARING PROPRIETARY CUSTOMER INFORMATION. (a) |
|
|
In this section, "proprietary customer information" means any |
|
|
identifying information compiled by a retail electric provider |
|
|
about an individual customer that may be used for communication |
|
|
regarding emergencies, billing, or service-related matters, |
|
|
including the customer's: |
|
|
(1) name; |
|
|
(2) telephone number; |
|
|
(3) e-mail address; or |
|
|
(4) home address. |
|
|
(b) An electric utility providing electric delivery |
|
|
services for a retail electric provider may request from the retail |
|
|
electric provider any proprietary customer information reasonably |
|
|
necessary for the electric utility to communicate with a customer |
|
|
regarding an emergency affecting service, an interruption of |
|
|
service, or restoration of service. The retail electric provider |
|
|
shall provide to the electric utility the proprietary customer |
|
|
information not later than 48 hours after the request is made. The |
|
|
retail electric provider is not required to obtain a prior |
|
|
verifiable authorization from the customer before complying with |
|
|
this subsection. |
|
|
(c) Notwithstanding Section 39.157(d)(4), an electric |
|
|
utility may provide the proprietary customer information to another |
|
|
person without prior verifiable authorization from the customer as |
|
|
necessary for communication with the customer regarding an |
|
|
emergency affecting service, an interruption of service, or |
|
|
restoration of service. |
|
|
(d) An electric utility or another person who obtains |
|
|
proprietary customer information under this section: |
|
|
(1) shall, for purposes of protecting the |
|
|
confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of the information, |
|
|
establish, implement, and maintain reasonable administrative, |
|
|
technical, and physical data security practices that are |
|
|
appropriate to the volume and nature of the information at issue, |
|
|
including encryption and secure data storage; and |
|
|
(2) may not retain the information for longer than |
|
|
reasonably necessary to communicate with the customer regarding an |
|
|
emergency affecting service, an interruption of service, or |
|
|
restoration of service. |
|
|
(e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), Subchapter B, |
|
|
Chapter 15, does not apply to a violation of this section. |
|
|
(f) Section 15.021 applies to a violation of this section. |
|
|
(g) This section does not affect the application of Chapter |
|
|
541, Business & Commerce Code, to a person that is not an electric |
|
|
utility or a retail electric provider. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |