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Senate Bill 2013 |
Senate Author: Schwertner et al. |
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Effective: 6-9-23 |
House Sponsor: Hunter |
Senate Bill 2013 amends the Business & Commerce Code, Government Code, and Utilities Code to enact provisions aimed at hardening the security of the state's power grid and put in place necessary protections to prevent the grid from being exposed to attacks. Specifically, the bill prohibits ERCOT from registering or maintaining a registration of a business entity to operate in the ERCOT power region unless the business entity attests that it complies with state law prohibiting a business entity from entering into an agreement with certain foreign‑owned companies in connection with critical infrastructure. The bill also requires ERCOT to require that a business entity operating in the ERCOT power region report to ERCOT the purchase of any critical electric grid equipment or service from a company that is headquartered in China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or a country designated as a threat to critical infrastructure or from certain other companies that are potentially under the influence of such a country.
Senate Bill 2013 revises statutory provisions prohibiting governmental entities from contracting with certain foreign‑owned companies in connection with critical infrastructure to classify ERCOT as a "governmental entity" and establish that the term "affiliate," with respect to a company entering into an agreement in which the critical infrastructure is electric grid equipment, has the meaning assigned by ERCOT protocols.
Senate Bill 2013 requires ERCOT to identify all employee positions in ERCOT that are critical to the security of the electric grid and, before hiring, obtain from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or a private vendor criminal history record information relating to the prospective employee and any other necessary background information. The bill entitles ERCOT to obtain from DPS criminal history record information maintained by DPS that relates to a person who has or is seeking employment at or access to ERCOT's systems that affect the security of the electric grid or any other background information maintained by DPS that relates to the person that is considered necessary by ERCOT or required by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.