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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 3262

By: Ortega

State Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties contend that certain municipal utilities, such as a utility in El Paso, are prohibited from offering municipal utility discounts or relief for disadvantaged residential customers. C.S.H.B. 3262 seeks to address this issue by authorizing such municipal utilities to establish a bill payment assistance program for certain utility system customers.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 3262 amends the Local Government Code to grant the board of trustees of a municipal utility system in a county with a population of at least 800,000 that is located on an international border the exclusive authority to establish a bill payment assistance program for its utility system's customers who received notice of disconnection of service for nonpayment of bills or who the utility determines are low-income customers.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 3262 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

INTRODUCED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 552, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Section 552.916 to read as follows:

Sec. 552.916.  CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN UTILITIES.  (a)  This section applies only to a board of trustees described by Section 1502.070(a)(2)(B), Government Code.

(b)  Notwithstanding any limitation provided by a home-rule charter or any other policy of a municipal governing body, a The  board of trustees has the exclusive authority to establish a bill  payment assistance program for its utility system's customers:

(1)  who received notice of disconnection of service for nonpayment of bills; or

(2)  whom the utility determines are low-income  customers.

 

SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 552, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Section 552.916 to read as follows:

Sec. 552.916.  CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN UTILITIES.  (a)  This section applies only to a board of trustees described by Section 1502.070(a)(2)(B), Government Code.

(b) 

 

 

A board of trustees has the exclusive authority to establish a bill payment assistance program for its utility system's customers:

(1)  who received notice of disconnection of service for nonpayment of bills; or

(2)  who the utility determines are low-income customers.

 

SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

 

SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.