1-1 By: Armbrister S.B. No. 168 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 15, 1999; January 28, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development; 1-4 April 29, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 29, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 168 By: Armbrister 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the provision of electric transmission services by a 1-11 river authority. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Chapter 245, Acts of the 67th Legislature, 1-14 Regular Session, 1981 (Article 717p, Vernon's Texas Civil 1-15 Statutes), is amended by adding Section 4C to read as follows: 1-16 Sec. 4C. (a) This section applies only to a river authority 1-17 that is engaged in the distribution and sale of electric energy to 1-18 the public. 1-19 (b) Notwithstanding any other law, a river authority may: 1-20 (1) provide transmission services, as defined by 1-21 Section 31.002, Utilities Code, on a regional basis to any eligible 1-22 transmission customer at any location within or outside the 1-23 boundaries of the river authority; 1-24 (2) acquire, finance, lease, construct, rebuild, 1-25 operate, or sell electric transmission facilities at any location 1-26 within or outside the boundaries of the river authority; 1-27 (3) share officers, directors, employees, equipment, 1-28 and facilities with any related corporation created by the river 1-29 authority; and 1-30 (4) provide goods, equipment, facilities, and services 1-31 to any related corporation created by the river authority without 1-32 the need for a competitive bid. 1-33 (c) This section does not authorize a river authority to 1-34 construct electric transmission facilities for an ultimate consumer 1-35 of electricity to enable that consumer to bypass the transmission 1-36 or distribution facilities of its existing provider. 1-37 (d) The provisions of this section shall not relieve a river 1-38 authority from an obligation to comply with the provisions of the 1-39 Utilities Code concerning a certificate of convenience and 1-40 necessity for a transmission facility. 1-41 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-42 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-43 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-44 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-45 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-46 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-47 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-48 * * * * *