Bill Text: TX SB1655 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to authorizing the Public Utility Commission of Texas to direct the comptroller to return the unappropriated balance of the system benefit fund to retail electric customers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-05-06 - Referred to State Affairs [SB1655 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB1655-Engrossed.html
By: Williams, et al. | S.B. No. 1655 |
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relating to authorizing the Public Utility Commission of Texas to | ||
direct the comptroller to return the unappropriated balance of the | ||
system benefit fund to retail electric customers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.9039 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.9039. DISBURSEMENT OF SYSTEM BENEFIT FUND BALANCE. | ||
(a) After consultation with the comptroller, the commission by | ||
rule shall establish a system for transmission and distribution | ||
utilities, retail electric providers, municipally owned utilities, | ||
or electric cooperatives to credit retail electric customers' bills | ||
in amounts necessary to expend as fully as practicable the | ||
appropriated balance of the system benefit fund transferred to a | ||
special fund outside of the general revenue fund by Section 30, | ||
Article VIII, Texas Constitution, in accordance with this section. | ||
(b) The commission shall direct the comptroller to disburse | ||
as much as practicable of the balance described by Subsection (a) as | ||
soon as practicable and before September 1, 2014, in one or more | ||
installments to transmission and distribution utilities, retail | ||
electric providers, municipally owned utilities, or electric | ||
cooperatives under the system established under Subsection (a) so | ||
that each entity receives an amount necessary to give each retail | ||
electric customer that has customer choice an equal credit so that | ||
the total of the credits equals the total amount disbursed. | ||
(c) The commission by rule shall require each entity | ||
receiving disbursements under this section to ensure that retail | ||
electric customers that have customer choice, through one or more | ||
billings for electric services between the time the entity receives | ||
a disbursement under this section and August 31, 2014, each receive | ||
equal credits that, in the aggregate, equal the amount of the | ||
disbursements received under this section, less a reasonable amount | ||
to reimburse the entity for administering this section as | ||
established by the commission in an amount not to exceed two percent | ||
of the disbursements. The commission by rule shall ensure that the | ||
customer is provided, with the customer's bill, notice that the | ||
refund of the system benefit fund fee is "provided by the Texas | ||
Legislature." | ||
(d) The comptroller and commission jointly shall issue a | ||
report on the progress made in developing and implementing the | ||
system required to be established by Subsection (a), and in | ||
disbursing the amount appropriated from the system benefit fund | ||
through that system, not later than December 15, 2014. The report | ||
issued under this subsection must be presented in writing to the | ||
governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives, and the standing committees of the senate and | ||
house of representatives having primary jurisdiction over electric | ||
utilities. | ||
(e) The comptroller on September 1, 2014, shall deposit to | ||
the credit of the system benefit fund any undisbursed balance of the | ||
special fund. | ||
(f) This section expires September 1, 2015. | ||
SECTION 2. 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, 2013. |