HB 3293

Border Counties With A 500,000-Plus City Get School Power Discounts

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review

Rep. Mary E. GonzálezDHouse 75

Why it's charged

Bracket bill

THE TEXT

…“county that is located on the international border and contains a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The border-county-plus-500,000-city test narrows a Utilities Code section to a very small number of counties, likely one. The caption does say "certain counties," so the narrowness is partly disclosed.

Bracket bill

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to rates for electric service provided to public school districts and other local governmental entities in certain counties.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Schools and local governments get the college rate discount. Homeowners can’t be billed for it.

The bill requires electric utilities and city-owned utilities to give public school districts and other local taxing governments the same electric-rate discount state law already gives to colleges and universities. It only applies in a county on the international border that contains a city of 500,000 or more people, and a utility is excused if the discount would cut more than one percent of its total yearly revenue. Utilities must file new tariffs showing the discount and may not shift the lost revenue onto homeowners or other customers, starting with contracts made on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House State Affairs committee on Apr 2, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3293 · 2025-02-25

SOLD BY

Rep. Mary E. GonzálezDHouse 75

ITEM

relating to rates for electric service provided to public school districts and other local governmental entities in certain counties.

WHAT IT DOES

Schools and local governments get the college rate discount. Homeowners can’t be billed for it.

CHARGES

[x] BRACKET BILLanalysis confidence 70%

THE TEXT

…“county that is located on the international border and contains a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 2, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Feb 25, 2025Filed
Mar 20, 2025Read first time
Mar 20, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Apr 2, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 2, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 2, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 2, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

“An electric utility may not recover from residential customers or any other customer class the assigned and allocated costs of serving a public school district or other political subdivision that receives a discount under this section.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill gives local governments cheaper power and bars utilities from passing the cost of that discount to other ratepayers.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mary E. González

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10K Coalition for Working Families PAC$10K Texas Sands PAC$8K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 16, 2024 to Jun 13, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Mar 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985912, 101032788, 101058648.

Coalition for Working Families PAC$10,000.00

Coalition for Working Families PAC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 24 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 25, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 5, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101058648.

Texas Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 22, 2024 to Dec 9, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985912.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Mar 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985912, 101032788, 101058648.

Coalition for Working Families PAC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 24 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 25, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 5, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101058648.

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 22, 2024 to Dec 9, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985912.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 2, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 25, 2025

04/02/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

County Government--General

Education--School Districts

Political Subdivisions

Utilities--Electric

Utilities--General

BORDER

Text

The text as introduced · 348 words

89R10453 CXP-F

By: González of El Paso
H.B. No. 3293

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to rates for electric service provided to public school

districts and other local governmental entities in certain

counties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 36, Utilities Code, is

amended by adding Section 36.3511 to read as follows:

Sec. 36.3511. DISCOUNTED RATES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

AND OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This

section applies only to a facility receiving electric service in a

county that is located on the international border and contains a

municipality with a population of 500,000 or more.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, each

electric utility and municipally owned utility shall provide to a

facility of a public school district or another political

subdivision that is authorized to impose an ad valorem tax the same

discount for charges for electric service as the discount required

to be provided to a facility of an institution of higher education

under Section 36.351.

(c) An electric or municipally owned utility is exempt from

this section if the discount results in a reduction equal to more

than one percent of the utility's total annual revenues.

(d) An electric utility may not recover from residential

customers or any other customer class the assigned and allocated

costs of serving a public school district or other political

subdivision that receives a discount under this section.

(e) Each electric utility shall file tariffs with the

commission reflecting the discount required under this section.

The initial tariff filing is not a rate change for purposes of

Subchapter C.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this Act.

A contract entered into before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective

date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that

purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.