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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the designation of certain customer bill payment |
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assistance program costs as an expense of operation that is a first |
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lien against revenue securing certain public securities or |
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obligations in certain municipalities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 1502.056, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) For a municipality in a county that contains an |
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international border and borders the Gulf of Mexico, the first lien |
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against the revenue of a municipally owned utility system that |
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secures the payment of public securities issued or obligations |
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incurred under this chapter also applies to funding, as a necessary |
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operations expense, for a bill payment assistance program for the |
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utility system's customers who: |
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(1) have received a notice of 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; |
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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; or |
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(3) are elderly and low-income customers as determined |
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by the municipality. |
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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, 2015. |