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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the security of the electricity supply chain. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 38, Utilities Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 38.205 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 38.205. PHYSICAL SECURITY OF CRITICAL FACILITIES. (a) |
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In this section, "critical facility" means a transmission |
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substation and any associated control center the inoperability of |
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which could result in widespread instability, uncontrolled |
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separation, or cascading outages within an interconnection. |
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(b) The commission shall require each electric utility, |
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electric cooperative, municipally owned utility, river authority |
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that owns electric transmission assets, and transmission and |
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distribution utility to provide to the chair of the committee the |
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following information: |
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(1) the location of any critical facility owned or |
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operated by the utility, cooperative, or authority; |
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(2) security measures in place to protect each |
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critical facility against physical attack; and |
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(3) contact information for the applicable utility, |
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cooperative, or authority. |
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(c) The chair of the committee may share information |
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provided to the chair under Subsection (b) related to a physical |
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attack or a threat of a physical attack on a critical facility with |
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a law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the critical |
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facility. |
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(d) The chair of the committee shall provide the Department |
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of Public Safety with access to the information provided to the |
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chair of the committee under Subsection (b). |
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(e) Information provided to the chair of the committee or |
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the Department of Public Safety under this section is confidential |
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under Section 418.181, Government Code, and not subject to |
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disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2023. |