By: Estes S.B. No. 2126

(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2009; March 31, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources; April 20, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 20, 2009, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of owners and managers of apartment houses to assess a service charge for the submetering of water and wastewater services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subsections (c) and (d), Section 13.503, Water Code, are amended to read as follows:

(c) In addition to the charges permitted under Subsection (b), the rules shall authorize the owner or manager of a manufactured home rental community or apartment house [owner or manager] to impose a service charge of not more than nine percent of the costs related to submetering allocated to each submetered rental or dwelling unit.

(d) For purposes of Subsection (c), "costs related to submetering" means water costs as well as any other applicable taxes and surcharges that are charged by the retail public utility to the owner or manager of a manufactured home rental community or apartment house [owner or manager].

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

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