Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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Prohibits a provider from disconnecting natural gas service to a residential customer:
UTILITIES
77 th Texas Legislature
• on a weekend day unless personnel of the provider are available on that day to take payments and
reconnect service; or
• during an extreme weather emergency.
Requires the provider to defer collection of the full payment of bills that are due during an extreme weather
emergency until after the emergency is over and to work with customers to establish a payment schedule
for deferred bills.
Texas Energy Assistance Loan Program - H.B. 2839
by Representative Dukes
Senate Sponsor: Senator Carona
Establishes the Texas Energy Assistance Loan Program to provide financing incentives to make energy
efficiency improvements to an existing structure or piece of agricultural equipment, or to purchase an
energy-efficient home. Authorizes the State Energy Conservation Office of the Comptroller of Public
Accounts to implement the program.
Bonds and Other Securities Issuance and River Authorities - H.B. 3357
by Representative Kuempel
Senate Sponsor: Senator Armbrister
Currently, the board of directors of a river authority engaged in the distribution and sale of electric energy is
authorized to create a nonprofit corporation to act on its behalf. This nonprofit corporation may issue bonds
and public securities; however the time necessary to develop suitable credit ratings for the issuance of
bonds and other securities limits their ability to lower interest rates and marketability in a timely manner.
Authorizes a river authority to guarantee with its own assets public securities and other obligations of a
nonprofit corporation.
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