HBA-NMO H.B. 1062 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1062 By: Cook State Affairs 2/18/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law prohibits the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) from building, owning, or operating transmission lines outside the area served by LCRA transmission lines on January 1, 1975. H.B. 1062 authorizes a river authority engaged in the distribution and sale of electric energy to the public, such as LCRA, to provide electric transmission services, and to acquire and operate electric transmission facilities, within or without the river authority's boundaries. This bill does not authorize a river authority to build transmission facilities to enable an ultimate consumer of electricity to bypass the transmission or distribution facilities of that consumer's existing provider. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 717p, V.T.C.S., by adding Section 4C, as follows: Sec. 4C. Provides that "electric transmission facilities" includes telecommunications systems that are attached or incidental to facilities used to transmit electric energy. Provides that this section applies only to a river authority that is engaged in the distribution and sale of electric energy to the public. Provides that this section does not authorize a river authority to serve as a common carrier of telecommunications services. Authorizes a river authority, notwithstanding any other law, and at any location within or outside its boundaries, to provide transmission services, as defined by Section 31.002, Utilities Code (Definitions), on a regional basis to any eligible transmission customer; and to acquire, finance, lease, construct, rebuild, operate, or sell electric transmission facilities. Provides that this section does not authorize a river authority to construct electric transmission facilities for an ultimate consumer of electricity to enable that consumer to bypass the transmission or distribution facilities of its existing provider. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.