By Cook H.B. No. 1062 76R3009 WP-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the provision of electric transmission services by a 1-3 river authority. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 245, Acts of the 67th Legislature, 1-6 Regular Session, 1981 (Article 717p, Vernon's Texas Civil 1-7 Statutes), is amended by adding Section 4C to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 4C. (a) In this section, "electric transmission 1-9 facilities" includes telecommunications systems that are attached 1-10 or incidental to facilities used to transmit electric energy. 1-11 (b) This section applies only to a river authority that is 1-12 engaged in the distribution and sale of electric energy to the 1-13 public. This section does not authorize a river authority to serve 1-14 as a common carrier of telecommunications services. 1-15 (c) Notwithstanding any other law, a river authority may: 1-16 (1) provide transmission services, as defined by 1-17 Section 31.002, Utilities Code, on a regional basis to any eligible 1-18 transmission customer at any location within or outside the 1-19 boundaries of the river authority; and 1-20 (2) acquire, finance, lease, construct, rebuild, 1-21 operate, or sell electric transmission facilities at any location 1-22 within or outside the boundaries of the river authority. 1-23 (d) This section does not authorize a river authority to 1-24 construct electric transmission facilities for an ultimate consumer 2-1 of electricity to enable that consumer to bypass the transmission 2-2 or distribution facilities of its existing provider. 2-3 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-9 passage, and it is so enacted.