Bill Text: TX HB2828 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the provision of onetime cash payments to certain electric customers.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-18 - Referred to State Affairs [HB2828 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2828-Introduced.html
By: Canales | H.B. No. 2828 |
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relating to the provision of onetime cash payments to certain | ||
electric customers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Texas Emergency | ||
Refund Act. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.918 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.918. EMERGENCY REFUNDS. (a) The commission shall | ||
establish a program to provide onetime cash payments from state | ||
funds appropriated for that purpose to retail customers of | ||
municipally owned utilities, electric cooperatives, and retail | ||
electric providers in the ERCOT power region. | ||
(b) The program must provide a payment of: | ||
(1) $250 for each residential retail account; and | ||
(2) $250 for each commercial retail account. | ||
(c) Not later than October 1, 2021, each municipally owned | ||
utility, electric cooperative, and retail electric provider shall | ||
provide to the commission a list of each retail account served by | ||
the utility, cooperative, or provider after February 13, 2021, and | ||
before February 19, 2021. | ||
(d) Not later than December 1, 2021, the commission shall | ||
provide to each municipally owned utility, electric cooperative, | ||
and retail electric provider the amount of money required to | ||
provide to each retail account listed by the utility, cooperative, | ||
or provider under Subsection (c) the appropriate payment under | ||
Subsection (b). | ||
(e) Not later than the 14th day after the date a municipally | ||
owned utility, electric cooperative, or retail electric provider | ||
receives money from the commission under Subsection (d), the | ||
utility, cooperative, or provider shall: | ||
(1) credit each retail account with the appropriate | ||
amount under Subsection (b); and | ||
(2) for accounts that were closed after February 19, | ||
2021: | ||
(A) send a payment in the appropriate amount | ||
under Subsection (b) to the former account holder; or | ||
(B) if the utility, cooperative, or provider | ||
cannot contact the former account holder, return that account's | ||
payment to the commission. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |