88R9831 JXC-F
 
  By: Hernandez H.B. No. 3078
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a program to provide assistance for certain retail
  electric customers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 17.007, Utilities Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  The Health and Human Services Commission, on request of
  the commission, shall assist in:
               (1)  developing an automatic process for identifying
  low-income customers to retail electric providers and certificated
  telecommunications utilities to enable those providers and
  utilities to offer customer service, discounts, bill payment
  assistance, or other methods of assistance; and
               (2)  implementing Section 39.9035(i).
         (e)  Subsection (d) does not apply in a fiscal biennium in
  which money is available under Section 39.9035 for the process
  established by this section.
         SECTION 2.  Section 39.002, Utilities Code, as amended by
  Chapters 908 (H.B. 4492) and 950 (S.B. 1580), Acts of the 87th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, is reenacted and amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 39.002.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter, other than
  Sections 39.151, 39.1516, 39.155, 39.157(e), 39.159, 39.160,
  39.203, 39.9035, 39.904, 39.9051, 39.9052, and 39.914(e), and
  Subchapters M and N, does not apply to a municipally owned utility
  or an electric cooperative. Sections 39.157(e), 39.203, and
  39.904, however, apply only to a municipally owned utility or an
  electric cooperative that is offering customer choice. If there is
  a conflict between the specific provisions of this chapter and any
  other provisions of this title, except for Chapters 40 and 41, the
  provisions of this chapter control.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is
  amended by adding Section 39.9035 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.9035.  INCOME-BASED ASSISTANCE FUND. (a) In this
  section, "fund" means the income-based assistance fund. 
         (b)  The income-based assistance fund is an account in the
  general revenue fund. Money in the account may be appropriated only
  for the purposes provided by this section or other law.
         (c)  The fund consists of:
               (1)  money appropriated, credited, or transferred to
  the fund by the legislature;
               (2)  gifts or grants contributed to the fund; and
               (3)  interest earned on deposits and investments of the
  fund.
         (d)  The commission shall administer the fund. 
         (e)  Money in the fund may be appropriated to provide funding
  only for the following purposes, in the following order of
  priority:
               (1)  programs to:
                     (A)  assist low-income electric customers by
  making available the reduced rates described by Subsection (g); and
                     (B)  provide one-time bill payment assistance as
  described by Subsection (j) to electric customers who are or who
  have in their households one or more seriously ill or disabled
  low-income persons and who have been threatened with disconnection
  for nonpayment;
               (2)  customer education that provides information on
  other assistance programs, administrative expenses incurred by the
  commission in implementing and administering this chapter, and
  expenses incurred by the office under this chapter;
               (3)  support for low-income electric customers to
  access the targeted energy efficiency programs described by
  Subsection (f)(2); and
               (4)  reimbursement to the commission and the Health and
  Human Services Commission for expenses incurred in the
  implementation and administration of an integrated eligibility
  process created under Section 17.007 for customer service discounts
  relating to retail electric service, including outreach expenses
  the commission determines are reasonable and necessary.
         (f)  Notwithstanding Section 39.106(b), the commission shall
  adopt rules regarding programs to assist low-income electric
  customers in areas where customer choice is available. The
  programs may not be targeted to areas served by municipally owned
  utilities or electric cooperatives that have not adopted customer
  choice. The programs must include:
               (1)  reduced electric rates and bill payment assistance
  described by Subsection (e)(1)(B); and
               (2)  targeted energy efficiency programs to be
  administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community
  Affairs in coordination with existing weatherization programs.
         (g)  The commission by rule shall require electric
  cooperatives that have adopted customer choice, municipally owned
  utilities that have adopted customer choice, and retail electric
  providers to provide a reduced rate for retail electric service for
  low-income electric customers that limits monthly payments to not
  more than the greater of 10 percent of the customer's income or $50
  per month. The reduced rate for municipally owned utilities and
  electric cooperatives under this section is in addition to any rate
  reduction that may result from local programs for low-income
  electric customers of the municipally owned utility or electric
  cooperative. The commission by rule shall establish eligibility
  criteria for the reduced electric rates. The criteria must provide
  that a customer is eligible for a reduced rate if: 
               (1)  the customer's annual household income is not more
  than 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the
  corresponding household size; or
               (2)  the customer's household income during the 30 days
  before the date of enrollment, if annualized, is not more than 150
  percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the corresponding
  household size.
         (h)  An electric cooperative, municipally owned utility, or
  retail electric provider may request from the commission
  reimbursement from the fund for providing a reduced rate under
  Subsection (g). An electric cooperative, municipally owned
  utility, or retail electric provider shall be reimbursed from the
  fund for the difference between the reduced rate and the rate
  established under Section 39.106 or, as appropriate, the rate
  established under Section 40.053 or 41.053. The commission shall
  adopt rules providing for the reimbursement.
         (i)  The commission by rule shall provide methods of
  enrolling customers eligible to receive reduced rates under
  Subsection (g). The rules must provide for automatic enrollment as
  one enrollment option.
         (j)  The commission by rule shall establish the bill payment
  assistance program authorized under Subsection (e)(1)(B). The
  rules must provide that a customer is eligible to receive the
  assistance only if the assistance is necessary to prevent the
  disconnection of service for nonpayment of bills and the electric
  customer is a seriously ill or disabled low-income person or has in
  the customer's household one or more seriously ill or disabled
  low-income persons whose health or safety may be injured by the
  disconnection. The commission may prescribe the documentation
  necessary to demonstrate eligibility for the assistance and may
  establish additional eligibility criteria. The Health and Human
  Services Commission, on request of the commission, shall assist in
  the adoption and implementation of these rules.
         (k)  A retail electric provider is prohibited from charging
  the customer a fee for participation in the reduced rate program.
         (l)  The commission may not impose a fee for the purpose of
  depositing revenue in the fund. 
         SECTION 4.  Section 40.001(a), Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except
  Sections 39.155, 39.157(e), 39.203, 39.9035, and 39.904, this
  chapter governs the transition to and the establishment of a fully
  competitive electric power industry for municipally owned
  utilities. With respect to the regulation of municipally owned
  utilities, this chapter controls over any other provision of this
  title, except for sections in which the term "municipally owned
  utility" is specifically used.
         SECTION 5.  Section 41.001, Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 41.001.  APPLICABLE LAW. Notwithstanding any other
  provision of law, except Sections 39.155, 39.157(e), 39.203,
  39.9035, and 39.904, this chapter governs the transition to and the
  establishment of a fully competitive electric power industry for
  electric cooperatives. Regarding the regulation of electric
  cooperatives, this chapter shall control over any other provision
  of this title, except for sections in which the term "electric
  cooperative" is specifically used.
         SECTION 6.  It is the intent of the 88th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2023, that the amendments made by this Act be harmonized
  with another Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.