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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to clarifying that natural gas and electricity are |
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necessities during a declared disaster under the Deceptive Trade |
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Practices Act. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 17.46, Business & Commerce Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (b), Subdivision (27) to read as |
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follows: |
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(27) subject to Section 17.4625, taking advantage of a |
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disaster declared by the governor under Chapter 418, Government |
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Code, or by the president of the United States by: |
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(A) selling or leasing fuel, food, medicine, |
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lodging, building materials, construction tools, natural gas, |
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electricity, or another necessity at an exorbitant or excessive |
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price; or |
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(B) demanding an exorbitant or excessive price in |
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connection with the sale or lease of fuel, food, medicine, lodging, |
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building materials, construction tools, natural gas, electricity, |
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or another necessity; |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an act or practice that occurs on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. An act or practice that occurs before the effective date |
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of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the act or |
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practice occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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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, 2021. |