BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 484

                                                                                                                                            By: Fraser

Business & Commerce

2/15/2007

As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee (committee) is composed of three members of the Texas House of Representatives and three members of the Texas Senate.  The committee is co-chaired by the chairman of the House Committee on Regulated Industries and a senator appointed by the lieutenant governor.

As proposed, S.B. 484 provides that the chair of the House Committee on Regulated Industries and the chair of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce are the co-chairs of the committee.  Additionally, it authorizes the committee to study the reliability, economic viability, and environmental impact of new fuels on generation technology.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 39.907(b), (e), and (h), Utilities Code, as follows:

(b) Adds the chair of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce to the list that sets forth the six-person membership of the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee (committee) and decreases the number of other senators appointed to the committee by the lieutenant governor from three to two. Makes conforming changes. 

(e) Adds to the committee requirements the provision that the committee is mandated to study and seek policies to ensure that fuel resources available to the state are used in a balanced and efficient manner, and consider the reliability, economic viability, and environmental impact of new fuels and generation technologies. Makes conforming changes.

(h) Requires the chair of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, in addition to the chair of the House Committee on Regulated Industries and instead of one of the members of the senate serving on the committee, designated by the lieutenant governor, to serve as a joint chair of the committee.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.