1-1 By: Kitchen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos) H.B. No. 2806 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2001; 1-3 May 11, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural 1-4 Resources; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to disconnection of natural gas service. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 104, Utilities Code, is 1-11 amended by adding Section 104.258 to read as follows: 1-12 Sec. 104.258. DISCONNECTION OF GAS SERVICE. (a) In this 1-13 section: 1-14 (1) "Extreme weather emergency" means a period during 1-15 which the previous day's highest temperature did not exceed 32 1-16 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted to remain at or 1-17 below that level for the next 24 hours according to the nearest 1-18 National Weather Service reports. 1-19 (2) "Provider" means: 1-20 (A) a gas utility, as defined by Sections 1-21 101.003 and 121.001; and 1-22 (B) an owner, operator, or manager of a mobile 1-23 home park or apartment who purchases natural gas through a master 1-24 meter for delivery to a dwelling unit in a mobile home park or 1-25 apartment house under Chapter 124. 1-26 (b) A provider may not disconnect natural gas service to a 1-27 residential customer on a weekend day unless personnel of the 1-28 provider are available on that day to take payments and reconnect 1-29 service. 1-30 (c) A provider may not disconnect natural gas service to a 1-31 residential customer during an extreme weather emergency. The 1-32 provider shall defer collection of the full payment of bills that 1-33 are due during an extreme weather emergency until after the 1-34 emergency is over and shall work with customers to establish a pay 1-35 schedule for deferred bills. 1-36 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-37 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-38 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-39 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-40 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-41 * * * * *