| TO: | Honorable Troy Fraser, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB265 by Hinojosa ( Relating to benefits and protections for certain residential electric customers.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Utilities Code to require any entity providing retail electric service to waive
deposit requirements for a residential customer who is at least 65 years of age or who has a payment
history for electric service in this state that includes not more than one late payment in the preceding
12 months. The bill would prohibit an entity that provides retail electric service from disconnecting
service or authorizing the disconnection of service to a customer who requests a deferred payment plan and is a low-income electric customer or a customer who is designated by the Public Utility Commission as a critical care customer. The bill would establish eligibility requirements and provisions for the deferred payment plans. The bill would also require an entity that provides retail electric service to provide to each residential customer designated as a critical care customer or on a reduced rate program with an annual notice informing the customer of available protections.
The PUC would be required to adopt or amend rules to implement the provisions of this bill. The PUC indicates it could absorb the costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill within current resources.
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 473 Public Utility Commission of Texas, 529 Health and Human Services Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, JRO, MW, ES, SD, HC
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