Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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UTILITIES
77 th Texas Legislature
Stipulates that the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act (4 U.S.C. Sections 116-126) governs
the sourcing of charges for mobile telecommunications services.
Applies to state and local sales and use taxes administered and computed under Title 2 or Title 3 of the
Tax Code, and to which these titles apply.
Applies to the 9-1-1 emergency service fee imposed on wireless telecommunications under Chapter 771 of
the Health and Safety Code.
Provides procedures and remedies for customers to correct any erroneous collection of taxes and fees
under the federal act.
Allows the state or a designated database provider to maintain and provide to home service providers, as
defined in the bill, an electronic database of street address assignments to taxing jurisdictions.
Electric Cooperative Corporations and Mineral Agreements - H.B. 1047
by Representative Cook
Senate Sponsor: Senator Armbrister
The San Miguel Electric Cooperative operates a lignite-burning electricity plant in Jourdanton, Texas. The
cooperative has a contract with a large mining contractor to provide lignite from a surface mine for use in
the generating plant. In accordance with current law, the two entities have an agreement whereby the
mining company indemnifies the cooperative for accidents and injuries at the surface mine.
Exempts an electric cooperative corporation from the provisions regarding indemnity in certain mineral
agreements.
Public Utility Commission and Southwestern Public Service Company - H.B. 1692
by Representative Chisum, et al.
Senate Sponsor: Senator Bivins
The Texas Panhandle region, served by Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) is transmissionconstrained,
which means that power consumed in this region must be generated in the region. SPS is
scheduled to sell 80 percent of its generation assets to unregulated companies and to unbundle its
generation company, acts which could weaken the ability of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to regulate
generation rates paid by customers.
Provides that the legislature finds that circumstances exist that require that areas served by certain electric
utilities be treated as competitive development areas in which it is not in the public interest to transition to
full retail customer choice at this time.
Requires that, until the later of January 1, 2007, or the date on which a non-ERCOT utility is authorized by
PUC to implement customer choice, the rates be regulated under certain conditions.
Senate Research Center 313