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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation, operation, and funding of the |
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Texas-Louisiana border region economic development steering |
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committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 2056, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 2056.012 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2056.012. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR TEXAS-LOUISIANA BORDER |
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REGION. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Committee" means the Texas-Louisiana border |
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region economic development steering committee. |
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(2) "Texas-Louisiana border region" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 2056.002. |
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(b) The committee consists of: |
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(1) the county judges of the five most populous |
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counties in the Texas-Louisiana border region; and |
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(2) the county judge of any other county in the |
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Texas-Louisiana border region, if the commissioners court elects to |
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join the committee. |
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(c) The committee shall select from its members a presiding |
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officer, an assistant presiding officer, and a secretary. |
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(d) The committee shall develop a strategic plan for the |
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economic development of the Texas-Louisiana border region, in the |
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same manner as a state agency is required by this chapter to make a |
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strategic plan for its operation. |
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SECTION 2. Section 36.354, Utilities Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (h) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) An electric utility, municipally owned utility, or |
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electric cooperative may assess a surcharge to all of the utility's |
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retail customers in the state. Except as provided by Subsection |
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(h), the surcharge must be used to recover the difference in revenue |
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between the revenues from the discounted rate for military bases |
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provided under Subsection (a) and the base commercial rate. This |
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subsection does not apply to an electric utility, municipally owned |
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utility, or electric cooperative that was providing electric |
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service to a military base on December 31, 2002, at a rate |
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constituting a discount of 20 percent or more from the utility's |
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base commercial rate that the utility would otherwise charge the |
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military base. |
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(h) Money collected from a surcharge paid by a retail |
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customer located in a county in the Texas-Louisiana border region, |
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as defined by Section 2056.002, Government Code, shall be used for |
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purposes of the Texas-Louisiana border region economic development |
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steering committee. The commission shall by rule provide for the |
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remission of the money to committee. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |