HBA-KDB H.B. 2983 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2983
By: Corte
State Affairs
4/1/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a utility is not required to disclose the route of a proposed
new transmission or distribution line to property owners.  Such a
disclosure would provide property owners the opportunity to evaluate the
potential impact of a new transmission or distribution line.  House Bill
2983 requires the Public Utility Commission to adopt and enforce a rule
that requires a utility to disclose  the route of a proposed new
transmission or distribution line to all property owners within one-half
mile of  such a line. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Public Utility Commission in
SECTION 1 (Section 17.003, Utilities Code). 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2983 amends the Utilities Code to require the Public Utility
Commission to adopt and enforce a rule that requires a utility to disclose
the route of a proposed new transmission or distribution line to all
property owners within one-half mile of the proposed new transmission or
distribution line.  The bill provides that the rule must require that this
disclosure be made a permanent part of the deed records associated with the
property both underlying the route and property within one-half mile of the
new route. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.