Bill Text: TX SB599 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the requirement that electric utilities offer a standard retail service package on a standard form with standard terms to a customer.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-25 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB599 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-SB599-Introduced.html

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83R1139 DDT-F
By: Davis S.B. No. 599

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the requirement that electric utilities offer a
standard retail service package on a standard form with standard
terms to a customer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 39.101(b), Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) A customer is entitled:
(1) to be informed about rights and opportunities in
the transition to a competitive electric industry;
(2) to choose the customer's retail electric provider
consistent with this chapter, to have that choice honored, and to
assume that the customer's chosen provider will not be changed
without the customer's informed consent;
(3) to have access to providers of energy efficiency
services, to on-site distributed generation, and to providers of
energy generated by renewable energy resources;
(4) to be served by a provider of last resort that
offers a commission-approved standard service package;
(5) to receive sufficient information to make an
informed choice of service provider;
(6) to be protected from unfair, misleading, or
deceptive practices, including protection from being billed for
services that were not authorized or provided; [and]
(7) to have an impartial and prompt resolution of
disputes with its chosen retail electric provider and transmission
and distribution utility; and
(8) to receive at least one written standard retail
service package offer, or a description of such an offer, from a
retail electric provider, on a commission-approved standard form
with a standard font size, typeface, and page limit, that:
(A) offers service for at least 12 months;
(B) charges a fixed price per kilowatt hour
throughout the term of the offered service period; and
(C) does not include a fee that the commission
does not require the retail electric provider to charge.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.