80R7450 TAD-D
 
  By: Miller H.B. No. 1677
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the prohibition of recovering attorney's fees and costs
from natural gas utility customers in certain rate proceedings.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Utilities Code, is
amended by adding Section 104.0585 to read as follows:
       Sec. 104.0585.  PROHIBITION OF RECOVERY OF ATTORNEY'S FEES;
COSTS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a court
or a regulatory authority may not award to a party the right to
recover from a gas utility customer, or otherwise include for
ratemaking purposes, the party's attorney's fees or other costs
incurred in a proceeding that establishes rates for the provision
of natural gas services to any customer or class of customers.
       SECTION 2.  Section 104.0585, Utilities Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to a proceeding initiated on or after the
effective date of this Act. A proceeding initiated before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect
immediately before that date, and that law is continued in effect
for that purpose.
       SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.