Bill Text: TX SB1976 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to benefit programs provided by retail electric providers and certificated telecommunications utilities for low-income customers.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-19 - Effective on 9/1/17 [SB1976 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1976-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to benefit programs provided by retail electric providers and certificated telecommunications utilities for low-income customers.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-19 - Effective on 9/1/17 [SB1976 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1976-Engrossed.html
By: Whitmire | S.B. No. 1976 |
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relating to benefit programs provided by retail electric providers | ||
and certificated telecommunications utilities for low-income | ||
customers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 17.007, Utilities Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 17.007. IDENTIFICATION [ |
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CUSTOMER SERVICE BENEFITS [ |
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Services Commission, on request of the commission, shall assist in | ||
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 [ |
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(b) The commission and the Health and Human Services | ||
Commission shall continue the memorandum of understanding entered | ||
into by those agencies in effect on January 1, 2017, that | ||
establishes the respective duties of those agencies in relation to | ||
the automatic process, and may amend the memorandum of | ||
understanding as necessary to achieve the goals of this section. | ||
(c) The commission may not require a retail electric | ||
provider or a certificated telecommunications utility to offer | ||
customer service, discounts, bill payment assistance, targeted | ||
bill messaging, or other benefits for which the provider or utility | ||
is not reimbursed. | ||
(d) The commission may not submit a request to the Health | ||
and Human Services Commission to provide for a process to identify | ||
low-income electric customers for a fiscal year unless: | ||
(1) the commission receives a request from one or more | ||
retail electric providers not later than July 31 of the previous | ||
fiscal year for a list of low-income electric customers to be | ||
developed; and | ||
(2) each retail electric provider that submits a | ||
request to the commission under Subdivision (1) agrees to reimburse | ||
the commission for the cost of development of the list on terms | ||
agreed to by the commission and the provider. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 55.015(b), Utilities Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The commission shall adopt rules providing for | ||
automatic enrollment to receive lifeline service for eligible | ||
consumers. The Health and Human Services Commission [ |
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assist in the adoption and implementation of those rules. The | ||
commission and the Health and Human Services Commission [ |
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understanding establishing the respective duties of those agencies | ||
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enrollment. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 56.021, Utilities Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 56.021. UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND ESTABLISHED. The | ||
commission shall adopt and enforce rules requiring local exchange | ||
companies to establish a universal service fund to: | ||
(1) assist telecommunications providers in providing | ||
basic local telecommunications service at reasonable rates in high | ||
cost rural areas under two plans: | ||
(A) the Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan | ||
(16 T.A.C. Section 26.403); and | ||
(B) the Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange | ||
Company Universal Service Plan (16 T.A.C. Section 26.404); | ||
(2) reimburse the telecommunications carrier that | ||
provides the statewide telecommunications relay access service | ||
under Subchapter D; | ||
(3) finance the specialized telecommunications | ||
assistance program established under Subchapter E; | ||
(4) reimburse the department and the commission for | ||
costs incurred in implementing this chapter and Chapter 57; | ||
(5) reimburse a telecommunications carrier providing | ||
lifeline service as provided by 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E, as | ||
amended; | ||
(6) finance the implementation and administration of | ||
the identification process under [ |
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(7) reimburse a designated provider under Subchapter | ||
F; | ||
(8) reimburse a successor utility under Subchapter G; | ||
and | ||
(9) finance the program established under Subchapter | ||
H. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |