González Bill Gives One Border County’s Schools The College Power Discount

The text as introduced · 439 words

90R369 CXP-F

By: González of El Paso
H.B. No. 116

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. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this

section, the change in law made by this Act applies only to a charge

for electric service that accrues on or after the effective date of

this Act. A charge for electric service that accrues 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.

(b) The changes in law made by this Act do not apply to a

charge for electric service incurred under a contract entered into

before the effective date of this Act. A charge for electric service

incurred under 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, 2027.