Bill Text: TX SB668 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the confidentiality of certain government operated utility customer information.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-13 - Left pending in committee [SB668 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB668-Introduced.html
| By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 668 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to the confidentiality of certain government operated | ||
| utility customer information. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 552, Government Code is | ||
| amended by adding new Section 552.161 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 552.161. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN | ||
| GOVERNMENT OPERATED UTILITY CUSTOMER INFORMATION. (a) In this | ||
| section: | ||
| (1) "Advanced metering system" means any metering | ||
| system that collects periodic data at regular intervals through the | ||
| use of an automated wireless or radio network. | ||
| (2) "Government-operated utility" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 182.051(3), Utilities Code. | ||
| (b) Information is excepted from the requirements of | ||
| Section 552.021, Government Code, if it is information maintained | ||
| by a government-operated utility that: | ||
| (1) discloses whether services have been discontinued | ||
| or are eligible for disconnection by the government-operated | ||
| utility; or | ||
| (2) is collected as part of an advanced metering | ||
| system for usage, services, and billing, including, amounts billed | ||
| or collected for utility usage, except that all such information is | ||
| to be made available to that customer or their designated | ||
| representative. | ||
| (c) The exception to public disclosure created by this | ||
| section is in addition to any exception created by Section 552.101, | ||
| Government Code, including information made confidential by law | ||
| pursuant to Section 182.052, Utilities Code. Public access to | ||
| customer billing information covered by 552.101, Government Code, | ||
| is denied to the extent provided by that section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 182.052(a), (b), (c), and (d), Utilities | ||
| Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Section 182.054, a | ||
| government-operated utility may not disclose personal information | ||
| in a customer's account record, or any information relating to the | ||
| volume or units of utility usage or the amounts billed to or | ||
| collected from the individual for utility usage, unless |
||
| customer requests that the government-operated utility disclose | ||
| such information |
||
| government-operated utility may disclose information related to | ||
| the customer's volume or units of utility usage per billing cycle |
||
| sole-source designated aquifer. | ||
| (b) A customer may request disclosure of the information | ||
| under Subsection (a) |
||
| government-operated utility an appropriately marked form provided | ||
| under Subsection (c)(3) or any other written request for disclosure | ||
| (c) A government-operated utility shall include with a bill | ||
| sent to each customer or on its website: | ||
| (1) a notice of the customer's right to request | ||
| disclosure |
||
| |
||
| |
||
| disclosure |
||
| form and returning it to the government-operated utility by mail or | ||
| electronically. | ||
| (d) A customer may rescind a request for disclosure | ||
| written request to treat such |
||
| information as confidential from and after the date the | ||
| government-operated utility receives such written request. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 182.053, Utilities Code, is repealed. | ||
| SECTION 4. 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. | ||
