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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the website operated by the Public Utility Commission |
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of Texas to provide information regarding the power to choose and a |
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study on standardized electric service products and contracts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The legislature finds that: |
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(1) a competitive electric services market requires |
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timely, accurate, and adequate information about the products and |
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services offered to consumers in the market; |
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(2) the Public Utility Commission of Texas operates a |
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website regarding the power to choose retail electric providers on |
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which offers by those providers are published; |
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(3) the website is not easily usable and does not |
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provide the transparency necessary for consumers to make informed |
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choices in purchasing electric service products; |
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(4) the website does not use a user-centered design |
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approach; |
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(5) the website is not accessible to people with |
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disabilities; and |
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(6) a more structured approach to the design of that |
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website is required to truly affect a consumer's power to choose. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.110 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.110. POWER TO CHOOSE WEBSITE. (a) The commission |
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shall publish and operate a power to choose website redesigned |
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using a user-centered design approach. The user-centered design |
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approach must enable a residential, governmental, commercial, or |
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industrial user to search by physical address all offers available |
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in the user's service area. |
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(b) At a minimum, the redesigned website must include: |
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(1) a web page on which all fees, deposits, required |
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balances, and rates for each product offered by a retail electric |
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provider are posted and visible without the need to click on a link |
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and be redirected to another web page for the information; |
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(2) a web page on which terms of service for each |
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product offered by a retail electric provider are posted; |
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(3) features that make the website fully accessible to |
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people with disabilities; |
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(4) a research trail feature that will allow the user |
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to track the user's research; |
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(5) a clear identification with each price offer |
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posted on the website of whether the underlying product is a prepay |
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product or a variable, index, or fixed rate product; |
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(6) a searchable and sortable database of each retail |
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electric provider offer on the website that allows the information |
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to be read into a commercially available electronic database; |
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(7) features to accommodate language, cultural, and |
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educational differences among users; and |
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(8) comprehensive information, prominently displayed, |
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appropriately linked, and searchable by the user's physical |
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address, about each of the following programs available in the |
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user's service area through a state agency, utility, or retail |
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electric provider: |
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(A) energy efficiency programs, including |
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weatherization and rebate programs; |
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(B) distributed renewable generation policies |
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and programs, including rebate programs, net metering, and policies |
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affecting consumers' rights; and |
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(C) low-income utility assistance programs, |
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including bill payment assistance, weatherization, and rebate |
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programs. |
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(c) The commission shall establish a project to implement |
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this section. The commission may create a working committee to |
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provide input on the implementation of this section that is |
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composed of members of commission staff, consumer advocates, and |
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representatives of various categories of potential users of the |
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redesigned power to choose website, including people with |
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disabilities and low-income customers. The Department of |
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Information Resources shall participate in the project and shall |
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provide technical assistance to the commission and, if a working |
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committee is created, to the working committee. |
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(d) The commission by rule shall establish protocols |
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relating to the frequency with which information posted on the |
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website is updated. |
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(e) The commission shall consult and cooperate with other |
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state agencies in the design, both for content and usability, of the |
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website, including agencies providing low-income consumer |
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assistance and energy efficiency assistance and the interagency |
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coordinating group established under Section 535.053, Government |
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Code. |
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SECTION 3. Section 39.116, Utilities Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.116. NOTICE REGARDING CUSTOMER CHOICE INFORMATION. |
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A retail electric provider shall include on each residential |
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customer's bill a statement, in at least 12-point type on the front |
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of the first page, that reads: "For more information about |
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residential electric service please visit www.powertochoose.com." |
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This section expires September 1, 2015 [2011]. |
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SECTION 4. The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall |
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publish and begin operation of a redesigned power to choose website |
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using a user-centered design approach as provided by Section |
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39.110, Utilities Code, as added by this Act, not later than |
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September 1, 2012. |
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SECTION 5. The Public Utility Commission of Texas, with |
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input from the working committee, if a committee is created under |
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Section 39.110(c), Utilities Code, as added by this Act, shall |
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conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing standardized |
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electric service products and standardized terms to be included in |
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electric service contracts to facilitate consumer comparisons of |
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those products and terms. Not later than September 1, 2012, the |
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commission shall report its findings to the legislature and publish |
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those findings on the power to choose website. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |