SRC-JEC, LBB C.S.H.B. 1948 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.H.B. 1948
By: Baxter (Fraser)
State Affairs
5/13/2003
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The electric utility restructuring legislative oversight committee was
created to oversee the implementation of S.B. 7 from the 76th Legislature.
Currently, the chairs of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and
the House Committee on State Affairs serve as the co-chairs of the
electric utility restructuring legislative oversight committee. With
structural changes in the house of representatives and the senate,
responsibility for oversight of S.B. 7 has moved.  C.S.H.B. 1948 requires
the lieutenant governor to appoint three members from the senate.  It also
requires one senator and the chair of the House Committee on Regulated
Industries to serve as the joint chairs of the of the electric utility
restructuring legislative oversight committee. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 39.907, Utilities Code, by amending Subsection
(b), and adding Subsection (h), as follows: 

(b)  Provides that the electric utility restructuring legislative
oversight committee (committee) is composed of six members.  Requires the
chair of the House Committee on Regulated Industries, rather than State
Affairs, to serve as one member of the committee, and three, rather than
two, members of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor to serve
on the committee. Deletes the requirement that the chair of the Senate
Committee on Economic Development serve on the committee and the
requirement that the chairs of the Senate Committee on Economic
Development and the House Committee on State Affairs serve as joint chairs
of the committee. 

(h)  Requires the chair of the House Committee on Regulated Industries and
one of the members of the senate serving on the committee, designated by
the lieutenant governor, to serve as joint chairs of the committee. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.