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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public awareness of utility payment assistance programs |
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and consumer rights during a disaster. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 17.010 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 17.010. DISASTER BILLING AWARENESS. (a) The |
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commission in cooperation with the Texas Division of Emergency |
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Management and the Railroad Commission of Texas shall: |
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(1) promote public awareness of bill payment |
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assistance available during a disaster for electric, gas, |
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telecommunications, water, and wastewater services; and |
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(2) provide the public with information about billing |
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practices during a disaster to ensure that consumers of electric, |
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gas, telecommunications, water, and wastewater services have an |
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adequate understanding of their rights. |
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(b) Customer awareness efforts by the commission must be |
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conducted in English and Spanish and any other language as |
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necessary to further the purposes of Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2019, the Texas |
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Division of Emergency Management, the Public Utility Commission of |
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Texas, and the Railroad Commission of Texas shall begin the public |
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awareness campaign required by Section 17.010, Utilities Code, as |
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added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2019. |