By: Lucio III (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 837
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
  May 3, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Water,
  Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 13, 2021, reported favorably by
  the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 13, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the procedure for amending or revoking certificates of
  public convenience and necessity issued to certain retail public
  utilities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 13.254(a-3), Water Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a-3)  Within 60 calendar days from the date the utility
  commission determines the petition filed pursuant to Subsection
  (a-1) to be administratively complete, the utility commission shall
  grant the petition unless the utility commission makes an express
  finding that the petitioner failed to satisfy the elements required
  in Subsection (a-1) and supports its finding with separate findings
  and conclusions for each element based solely on the information
  provided by the petitioner and the certificate holder. The utility
  commission may grant or deny a petition subject to terms and
  conditions specifically related to the service request of the
  petitioner and all relevant information submitted by the petitioner
  and the certificate holder. In addition, the utility commission may
  require an award of compensation as otherwise provided by this
  section. If the utility commission requires an award of
  compensation, the utility commission shall require the petitioner
  to submit a report to the utility commission verifying for the
  purposes of Subsection (d) that the compensation has been paid to
  the decertified retail public utility.
         SECTION 2.  Section 13.2541(f), Water Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (f)  The utility commission may require an award of
  compensation by the petitioner to the certificate holder in the
  manner provided by this section. If the utility commission requires
  an award of compensation, the utility commission shall require the
  petitioner to submit a report to the utility commission verifying
  for the purposes of Subsection (j) that the compensation has been
  paid to the certificate holder.
         SECTION 3.  Section 13.255, Water Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to
  read as follows:
         (c)  The utility commission shall grant single certification
  to the municipality. The utility commission shall also determine
  whether single certification as requested by the municipality would
  result in property of a retail public utility being rendered
  useless or valueless to the retail public utility, and shall
  determine in its order the monetary amount that is adequate and just
  to compensate the retail public utility for such property. If the
  municipality in its application has requested the transfer of
  specified property of the retail public utility to the municipality
  or to a franchised utility, the utility commission shall also
  determine in its order the adequate and just compensation to be paid
  for such property pursuant to the provisions of this section,
  including an award for damages to property remaining in the
  ownership of the retail public utility after single certification.
  The order of the utility commission shall not be effective to
  transfer property. A transfer of property may only be obtained
  under this section by a court judgment rendered pursuant to
  Subsection (d) or (e). The grant of single certification by the
  utility commission shall go into effect on the date the
  municipality or franchised utility, as the case may be, pays
  adequate and just compensation pursuant to court order, or pays an
  amount into the registry of the court or to the retail public
  utility under Subsection (f). If the court judgment provides that
  the retail public utility is not entitled to any compensation, the
  grant of single certification shall go into effect when the court
  judgment becomes final.
         (c-1)  The utility commission by rule shall require the
  municipality or franchised utility to submit a report to the
  utility commission verifying that the municipality or franchised
  utility has paid all required adequate and just compensation to the
  retail public utility as provided by Subsection (c).
         (c-2)  The municipality or franchised utility must provide
  to each customer of the retail public utility being acquired an
  individual written notice within 60 days after the effective date
  for the transfer specified in the court judgment. The notice must
  clearly advise the customer of the identity of the new service
  provider, the reason for the transfer, the rates to be charged by
  the new service provider, and the effective date of those rates.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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