By Wohlgemuth H.B. No. 1536
75R2554 DWS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to confidentiality of personal information of a customer
1-3 of a government-operated utility.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 2, Chapter 473, Acts of the 73rd
1-6 Legislature, Regular Session, 1993 (Article 1446h, Vernon's Texas
1-7 Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 2. CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION. Except as
1-9 provided by Section 5 of this Act, a government-operated utility
1-10 may not disclose personal information in a customer's account
1-11 records without the customer's written permission [if the customer
1-12 requests that the government-operated utility keep the information
1-13 confidential. The customer may request confidentiality by
1-14 delivering to the government-operated utility an appropriately
1-15 marked form provided under Section 4(3) of this Act or any other
1-16 written request for confidentiality. The customer may rescind a
1-17 request for confidentiality by providing the government-operated
1-18 utility written permission to disclose personal information].
1-19 SECTION 2. Section 4, Chapter 473, Acts of the 73rd
1-20 Legislature, Regular Session, 1993 (Article 1446h, Vernon's Texas
1-21 Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-22 Sec. 4. NOTICE; REQUEST. A government-operated utility
1-23 shall include with a bill sent to each of its customers[:]
1-24 [(1)] a notice of the customer's right to [request]
2-1 confidentiality of personal information under this Act[;]
2-2 [(2) a statement of the amount of any fee applicable
2-3 to the request; and]
2-4 [(3) a form that the customer may use to request that
2-5 confidentiality by marking an appropriate box on the form and
2-6 returning it to the government-operated utility].
2-7 SECTION 3. Section 3, Chapter 473, Acts of the 73rd
2-8 Legislature, Regular Session, 1993 (Article 1446h, Vernon's Texas
2-9 Civil Statutes), is repealed.
2-10 SECTION 4. A government-operated utility shall include a
2-11 notice required by Section 4, Chapter 473, Acts of the 73rd
2-12 Legislature, Regular Session, 1993 (Article 1446h, Vernon's Texas
2-13 Civil Statutes), as amended by this Act, with the first bill sent
2-14 to each of its customers after the effective date of this Act.
2-15 SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-16 to a disclosure of information made on or after the effective date
2-17 of this Act. A disclosure of information made before the effective
2-18 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the
2-19 disclosure was made, and the former law is continued in effect for
2-20 that purpose.
2-21 SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
2-22 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.