BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4908

By: Lopez, Ray

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The destructive ice storms caused by Winter Storm Uri put the entire Texas power grid under pressure. In one instance, the San Antonio Water System facilities were taken offline during rolling outages to support critical customer needs elsewhere on the grid, highlighting the need for better preparedness, funding, and response to such events. However, sustainable operation and compliance with state-mandated service minimums during extended outage events leads to increasing costs and administrative burdens for municipally owned retail public utilities. H.B. 4908 seeks to resolve these issues by providing for such utilities to independently apply for and access funds under the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant program.

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

H.B. 4908 amends the Government Code to include a municipally owned utility that acts as a retail public utility among the local governmental entities that are eligible for a grant by the Texas Military Preparedness Commission on the grounds that the entity may be affected by a federal realignment of defense worker jobs or facilities. The bill defines such a utility by reference to the Water Code as the following:

·         any utility that is owned, operated, and controlled by a municipality or by a nonprofit corporation whose directors are appointed by one or more municipalities; and

·         that operates, maintains, or controls facilities in Texas for providing potable water service or sewer service, or both, for compensation.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.