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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to allowing municipally owned utility systems in certain |
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cities to fund a program to aid low-income residents in paying their |
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bills. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 1502.056, Government |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) If the revenue of a utility system, park, or swimming |
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pool secures the payment of public securities issued or obligations |
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incurred under this chapter, each expense of operation and |
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maintenance, including all salaries, labor, materials, interest, |
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repairs and extensions necessary to provide efficient service, and |
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each proper item of expense, is a first lien against that |
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revenue. For a municipality with a population of more than one |
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million but less than two million, the first lien against the |
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revenue of a municipally owned [electric or gas] utility system |
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that secures the payment of public securities issued or obligations |
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incurred under this chapter also applies to funding, as a necessary |
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operations expense, for a bill payment assistance program for |
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utility system customers who have been threatened with |
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disconnection from service for nonpayment of bills and who have |
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been determined by the municipality to be low-income customers. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |