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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the disconnection of service provided to residential |
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customers by certain utilities and propane gas distribution system |
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retailers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.101(h), Utilities Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(h) A retail electric provider, power generation company, |
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aggregator, or other entity that provides retail electric service |
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may not disconnect service to a residential customer on a weekend |
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day, on a holiday officially observed by the State of Texas, on a |
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day preceding a weekend day or holiday, or during an extreme weather |
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emergency [or on a weekend day]. The entity providing service |
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shall defer collection of the full payment of bills that are due |
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during an extreme weather emergency until after the emergency is |
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over and shall work with customers to establish a pay schedule for |
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deferred bills. For purposes of this subsection, "extreme weather |
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emergency" means a period when: |
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(1) the previous day's highest temperature did not |
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exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted to |
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remain at or below that level for the next 24 hours according to the |
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nearest National Weather Service reports; or |
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(2) the National Weather Service issues a heat |
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advisory for any county in the relevant service territory, or when |
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such an advisory has been issued on any one of the previous two |
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calendar days. |
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SECTION 2. Section 104.258(b), Utilities Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) A provider may not disconnect natural gas service to a |
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residential customer on a weekend day, on a holiday officially |
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observed by the State of Texas, or on a day preceding a weekend day |
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or holiday unless personnel of the provider are available on that |
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day to take payments and reconnect service. |
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SECTION 3. Section 141.004(a), Utilities Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) A distribution system retailer may not disconnect |
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propane gas service to a residential customer on a weekend day, on a |
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[or] holiday officially observed by the State of Texas, or on a day |
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preceding a weekend day or holiday unless personnel of the |
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distribution system retailer are available on that day to receive |
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payments and reconnect service. |
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SECTION 4. Section 13.151(b), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A retail public utility that is required to possess a |
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certificate of public convenience and necessity or a district or |
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affected county that furnishes retail water or sewer utility |
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service: |
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(1) may not disconnect service on a weekend day, on a |
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holiday officially observed by the State of Texas, on a day |
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preceding a weekend day or holiday, or during an extreme weather |
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emergency; |
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(2) may [shall] not impose late fees [or disconnect |
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service] for nonpayment of bills that are due during an extreme |
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weather emergency until after the emergency is over; and |
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(3) shall work with customers that request to |
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establish a payment schedule for unpaid bills that are due during |
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the extreme weather emergency. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |