HBA-TBM, CCH H.B. 1902 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1902 By: Turner, Sylvester Appropriations 4/8/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE When the System Benefit Fund (SBF) was created by the 76th Legislature as part of electric utility deregulation, it was envisioned to be a trust fund that would help finance programs regarding utility awareness and assistance. Under current law, the SBF is a trust fund with the comptroller administered by the Public Utility Commission. House Bill 1902 establishes the SBF as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 1902 amends the Utilities Code to provide that the system benefit fund is an account in the general revenue fund rather than a trust fund with the comptroller that is required to be administered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The bill authorizes rather than requires the fund to be appropriated solely for regulatory purposes related to the assistance of low-income electric customers, customer education, the school funding loss mechanism, and administrative expenses incurred in implementing the restructuring of the electric utility industry. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.