Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB937 by Lucio (Relating to priorities for restoration of electric service following an extended power outage.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Utilities Code to require the Public Utility Commission (PUC) by rule to require electric utilities to give the same restoration priority to nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and hospice facilities that is assigned to hospitals in their emergency operations plans. The bill would require municipally owned utilities to report the emergency operations plan for restoring power to these facilities to the municipality’s governing body or the body vested with the power to manage and operate the municipally owned utility. The bill would require electric cooperatives to report the emergency operations plan for restoring power to these facilities to the board of directors of the electric cooperative.
Based on the analysis of the Public Utility Commission it is assumed that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.