Bill Text: TX HB2265 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the regulation of propane utility companies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-17 - Withdrawn from schedule [HB2265 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB2265-Introduced.html
  83R10257 RWG-D
 
  By: Dukes H.B. No. 2265
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the regulation of propane utility companies.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 101.002(b), Utilities Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  Gas utilities, including propane utilities, are by
  definition monopolies in the areas they serve. As a result, the
  normal forces of competition that regulate prices in a free
  enterprise society do not operate. Public agencies regulate
  utility rates, operations, and services as a substitute for
  competition.
         SECTION 2.  Section 101.003, Utilities Code, is amended by
  amending Subdivision (7) and adding Subdivision (11-a) to read as
  follows:
               (7)  "Gas utility" includes a person or river authority
  that owns or operates for compensation in this state equipment or
  facilities to transmit or distribute combustible hydrocarbon
  natural gas or synthetic natural gas for sale or resale in a manner
  not subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory
  Commission under the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. Section 717 et
  seq.). The term includes a lessee, trustee, or receiver of a gas
  utility. The term includes a propane utility. The term does not
  include:
                     (A)  a municipal corporation;
                     (B)  a person or river authority to the extent the
  person or river authority:
                           (i)  produces, gathers, transports, or sells
  natural gas or synthetic natural gas under Section 121.004 or
  121.005;
                           (ii)  distributes or sells liquefied
  petroleum gas; or
                           (iii)  transports, delivers, or sells
  natural gas for fuel for irrigation wells or any other direct
  agricultural use;
                     (C)  a person to the extent the person:
                           (i)  sells natural gas for use as vehicle
  fuel;
                           (ii)  sells natural gas to a person who later
  sells the natural gas for use as vehicle fuel; or
                           (iii)  owns or operates equipment or
  facilities to sell or transport natural gas for ultimate use as
  vehicle fuel;
                     (D)  a person not otherwise a gas utility who
  furnishes gas or gas service only to itself, its employees, or its
  tenants as an incident of employment or tenancy, if the gas or gas
  service is not resold to or used by others;
                     (E)  a person excluded from being considered a gas
  utility under Section 121.007; or
                     (F)  an electric cooperative, as that term is
  defined by Section 11.003, or its subsidiary, that is excluded from
  regulation as a gas utility by Section 121.008.
               (11-a)  "Propane utility" means a person that is
  registered with the railroad commission's liquefied petroleum gas
  division and that owns or operates for compensation in this state
  equipment or facilities to transmit, store, or distribute liquefied
  petroleum gas to a residential neighborhood. The term includes a
  lessee, trustee, or receiver of a propane utility. The term does
  not include a person not otherwise a propane utility who furnishes
  propane gas service only to itself, its employees, or its tenants as
  an incident of employment or tenancy, if the propane gas service is
  not resold or used by others.
         SECTION 3.  Section 102.001(a), Utilities Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The railroad commission has exclusive original
  jurisdiction over the rates and services of a gas utility:
               (1)  that distributes natural gas, propane gas, or
  synthetic natural gas in:
                     (A)  areas outside a municipality; and
                     (B)  areas inside a municipality that surrenders
  its jurisdiction to the railroad commission under Section 103.003;
  and
               (2)  that transmits, transports, delivers, or sells
  natural gas, propane gas, or synthetic natural gas to a gas utility
  that distributes the gas to the public.
         SECTION 4.  Section 104.2545, Utilities Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
         (e)  This section does not apply to a propane utility.
         SECTION 5.  Section 104.258, Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 104.258.  DISCONNECTION OF NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE GAS
  SERVICE.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Extreme weather emergency" means a period during
  which the previous day's highest temperature did not exceed 32
  degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted to remain at or
  below that level for the next 24 hours according to the nearest
  National Weather Service reports.
               (2)  "Provider" means:
                     (A)  a gas utility, as defined by Sections 101.003
  and 121.001; [and]
                     (A-1)  a propane utility, as defined by Section
  101.003; and
                     (B)  an owner, operator, or manager of a mobile
  home park or apartment who purchases natural gas or propane gas
  through a master meter for delivery to a dwelling unit in a mobile
  home park or apartment house under Chapter 124.
         (b)  A provider may not disconnect natural gas or propane gas
  service to a residential customer on a weekend day unless personnel
  of the provider are available on that day to take payments and
  reconnect service.
         (c)  A provider may not disconnect natural gas or propane gas
  service to a residential customer during an extreme weather
  emergency. The provider shall defer collection of the full payment
  of bills that are due during an extreme weather emergency until
  after the emergency is over and shall work with customers to
  establish a pay schedule for deferred bills.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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