Honorable Lyle Larson, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB4012 by Paul (Relating to notice of a scheduled disconnection of water utility service.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Texas Property Code, Section 92.302 to require written notice of a service disconnection to tenants or owners within five days of the customer receiving notice of the service disconnection from a water utility. The bill would amend Texas Water Code, Chapter 13 to require water utilities to send a separate written notice of service disconnection of a nonsubmetered master metered multifamily property to a municipality within 10 days of the date that the water service is scheduled for disconnection, and would require the municipality to designate an authorized representative to receive the notice. The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to develop, by rule, a mechanism by which a municipality may provide TCEQ with the contact information of this representative, and to make this contact information available to the public. The bill would apply only to a disconnection of water utility service scheduled on or after September 15, 2017; the bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
The Public Utility Commission (PUC) is responsible for enforcing customer protections regarding continuous service in the Texas Water Code; PUC estimates that, if required to enforce the rules adopted by TCEQ, such an enforcement could be done using existing resources. TCEQ estimates that implementing the provisions of the bill could be done using existing resources.
Local Government Impact
PUC estimates that the additional notice requirements to municipalities may result in some cost to local governments.
According to the Texas Municipal League, the fiscal impact to municipalities is not anticipated to be significant.
Source Agencies:
473 Public Utility Commission of Texas, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality