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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the designation of program costs for providing bill |
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payment assistance to certain military veterans as a necessary |
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operating expense that is a first lien against revenue of certain |
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electric and gas utilities' revenue securing certain public |
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securities or obligations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 1502.056(a), Government Code, is amended |
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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, the first lien against the revenue of a municipally owned |
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electric or gas utility system that secures the payment of public |
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securities issued or obligations incurred under this chapter also |
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applies to funding, as a necessary operations expense, for a bill |
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payment assistance program for utility system customers who: |
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(1) have been threatened with disconnection from |
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service for nonpayment of bills and who have been determined by the |
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municipality to be low-income customers; or |
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(2) are military veterans who have significantly |
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decreased abilities to regulate their bodies' core temperatures |
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because of severe burns received in combat. |
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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. |