1-1 By: Thompson of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Whitmire) H.B. No. 670
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 24, 1993;
1-3 March 25, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Economic Development; May 12, 1993, reported adversely, with
1-5 favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays
1-6 0; May 12, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-8 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-9 Parker x
1-10 Lucio x
1-11 Ellis x
1-12 Haley x
1-13 Harris of Dallas x
1-14 Harris of Tarrant x
1-15 Leedom x
1-16 Madla x
1-17 Rosson x
1-18 Shapiro x
1-19 Wentworth x
1-20 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 670 By: Rosson
1-21 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-22 AN ACT
1-23 relating to the payment date of a utility bill for an elderly
1-24 person.
1-25 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-26 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
1-27 (1) "Elderly person" means a person who is 60 years of
1-28 age or older.
1-29 (2) "Utility" means an electric, gas, water, or
1-30 telephone utility that is operated by a public or private entity.
1-31 SECTION 2. PAYMENT DATE OF CERTAIN UTILITY BILLS. (a) On
1-32 request of an elderly person, a utility shall delay without penalty
1-33 the payment date of a bill for providing utility services to that
1-34 person until the 25th day after the date on which the bill is
1-35 issued.
1-36 (b) An elderly person may request that the utility implement
1-37 the delay for the most recent utility bill or for that utility bill
1-38 and each subsequent utility bill for which payment has not already
1-39 been delayed.
1-40 (c) The utility may require the requesting person to present
1-41 reasonable proof that the person is 60 years of age or older.
1-42 (d) This section applies only to an elderly person who is a
1-43 residential customer and who occupies the entire premises for which
1-44 a delay is requested.
1-45 (e) This section does not apply to a utility that does not
1-46 assess late payment charges on residential customers and that does
1-47 not suspend service before the 26th day after the date of the bill
1-48 for which collection action is taken and is regulated by the Public
1-49 Utility Regulatory Act (Article 1446c, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-50 Statutes).
1-51 SECTION 3. APPLICATION OF ACT. This Act applies only to a
1-52 utility bill issued on or after the effective date of this Act. A
1-53 utility bill issued before the effective date of this Act is
1-54 governed by the law in effect when the bill was issued, and that
1-55 law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-56 SECTION 4. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
1-57 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-58 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-59 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-60 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-61 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-62 passage, and it is so enacted.
1-63 * * * * *
1-64 Austin,
1-65 Texas
1-66 May 12, 1993
1-67 Hon. Bob Bullock
1-68 President of the Senate
2-1 Sir:
2-2 We, your Committee on Economic Development to which was referred
2-3 H.B. No. 670, have had the same under consideration, and I am
2-4 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation
2-5 that it do not pass, but that the Committee Substitute adopted in
2-6 lieu thereof do pass and be printed.
2-7 Parker,
2-8 Chairman
2-9 * * * * *
2-10 WITNESSES
2-11 FOR AGAINST ON
2-12 ___________________________________________________________________
2-13 Name: Tommy Duck x
2-14 Representing: Tex. Rural Water Assn.
2-15 City: Austin
2-16 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-17 Name: John W. Holtermann x
2-18 Representing: TX Silver Haired Legislature
2-19 City: San Marcos
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