S.B. No. 885
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to notice of utility rate increases.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 104.103, Utilities Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  Instead of publishing newspaper notice, a gas utility
  may provide notice [to the public in an area outside the affected
  municipality or in a municipality with a population of less than
  2,500] by:
               (1)  mailing the notice by United States mail, postage
  prepaid, to the billing address of each directly affected customer;
  [or]
               (2)  including the notice, in conspicuous form, in the
  bill of each directly affected customer; or
               (3)  sending the notice by e-mail to each directly
  affected customer if that address is available to the utility.
         (c)  A gas utility may provide a customer with notice of the
  utility's intent to increase rates by e-mail as described by
  Subsection (b)(3) only if the customer has consented in writing to
  the use of the customer's e-mail address for that purpose.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a notice of a proposed utility rate increase provided on or after
  the effective date of this Act.  Notice provided before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 885 passed the Senate on
  March 27, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 885 passed the House on
  May 2, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, two present
  not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor