BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1778
	By: Alvarado
	Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
	5/31/2023
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, Section 13.139 (Standards of Service) of the Water Code, requires an application for initiation of water service or cancellation/transfer of service to be delivered via United States mail only, and the customer must wait for receipt of the application and processing from the retail public utility to initiate service. In other states, service initiation is completed with one telephone call, and often the customer's service is activated the following day.

S.B. 1778 would add options for delivery of the application for convenience to the customer and efficiency by the retail public utility to initiate, cancel, or transfer service. It would allow a retail public utility to initiate, cancel, or transfer service to a customer upon receipt of an application request through United States mail, the telephone, the Internet, or by other electronic transmission.

S.B. 1778 amends current law relating to the process for initiating, transferring, or terminating water or sewer service.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, by adding Section 13.152, as follows:

Sec. 13.152.� INITIATION, TRANSFER, OR TERMINATION OF SERVICE. Authorizes a retail public utility to initiate, transfer, or terminate a customer's retail water or sewer service on receipt of a customer request by mail, by telephone, through an Internet website, or through another electronic transmission.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2023.