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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an electric utility surcharge to assist owners of |
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certain historic structures with electric bill payments and to |
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promote energy conservation and efficiency. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Utilities Code, is amended |
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by adding Chapter 44 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 44. ENERGY ASSISTANCE FOR HISTORIC STRUCTURES |
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Sec. 44.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Fund" means the historic structure energy |
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assistance fund. |
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(2) "Historic structure" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 442.001, Government Code. |
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Sec. 44.002. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to a |
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county that: |
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(1) has a population of 400,000 or more; |
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(2) is adjacent to an international border; |
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(3) borders the Gulf of Mexico; and |
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(4) is in an area where customer choice has not been |
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adopted. |
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Sec. 44.003. HISTORIC STRUCTURE ENERGY ASSISTANCE. (a) |
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The historic structure energy assistance fund is an account in the |
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general revenue fund administered by the commission. Money in the |
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account may be appropriated only for the purposes of a program |
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created under Subsection (c). Interest earned on the fund shall be |
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credited to the fund. |
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(b) The commission shall adopt and enforce rules requiring |
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electric utilities, municipally owned utilities, and electric |
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cooperatives to: |
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(1) establish a monthly surcharge in an amount of 50 |
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cents per customer to finance the fund; and |
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(2) remit the collected surcharges to the comptroller |
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for deposit to the credit of the fund. |
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(c) The commission shall establish a grant or loan or other |
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assistance program designed to: |
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(1) increase energy efficiency in historic |
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structures; |
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(2) promote energy conservation in historic |
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structures; and |
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(3) assist owners of historic structures with electric |
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bill payments. |
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(d) The commission by rule shall establish application |
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procedures and eligibility criteria for an owner of a historic |
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structure in need of assistance with payment of electric bills or |
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with energy conservation or energy efficiency measures. |
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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, 2013. |