Bill Text: TX HB3590 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of a customer to choose not to have an advanced meter on the customer's property.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-20 - Referred to State Affairs [HB3590 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB3590-Introduced.html
83R6375 RWG-D | ||
By: Bonnen of Brazoria | H.B. No. 3590 |
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relating to the authority of a customer to choose not to have an | ||
advanced meter on the customer's property. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 39.107, Utilities Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (k) and (l) to read as follows: | ||
(k) An electric utility or transmission and distribution | ||
utility that receives from the commission approval of the utility's | ||
plan for deploying advanced meters shall send by mail to each | ||
customer scheduled to receive an advanced meter under the plan a | ||
notice to inform the customer that the customer may decline to have | ||
the meter installed and of the manner in which the customer may | ||
decline installation. If the utility includes the notice with the | ||
customer's bill, the utility must print the notice on a separate | ||
page. If, not later than the 30th day after the date the customer | ||
receives the notice, the customer declines to have the advanced | ||
meter installed, the utility: | ||
(1) may not install the meter; and | ||
(2) may not charge the customer the nonbypassable | ||
surcharge otherwise authorized by Subsection (h). | ||
(l) An electric utility or transmission and distribution | ||
utility that has deployed advanced meters under a plan approved by | ||
the commission shall send by mail to each customer that is using an | ||
installed advanced meter a notice to inform the customer that the | ||
customer may choose to have the meter removed and replaced with a | ||
conventional meter and of the manner in which the customer may | ||
choose removal and replacement. If the utility includes the notice | ||
with the customer's bill, the utility must print the notice on a | ||
separate page. If the customer chooses to remove the advanced | ||
meter, the utility: | ||
(1) must remove the advanced meter; and | ||
(2) may not charge the customer the nonbypassable | ||
surcharge described by Subsection (h). | ||
SECTION 2. (a) This section applies only to an electric | ||
utility or transmission and distribution utility that, before the | ||
effective date of this Act, received approval from the Public | ||
Utility Commission of Texas of the utility's plan for deploying | ||
advanced meters but that has not completed that deployment on the | ||
effective date of this Act. | ||
(b) An electric utility or transmission and distribution | ||
utility shall suspend the deployment of advanced meters for not | ||
less than 45 days beginning on the effective date of this Act. | ||
(c) Not later than the 15th day after the effective date of | ||
this Act, an electric utility or transmission and distribution | ||
utility shall send the notice required by Section 39.107(k), | ||
Utilities Code, as added by this Act, to each customer who is | ||
scheduled to receive an advanced meter under the deployment plan | ||
but has not received the meter. If a customer declines installation | ||
of the meter in the manner provided by the notice, the utility shall | ||
refund to the customer the amount of any nonbypassable surcharge | ||
imposed under Section 39.107(h), Utilities Code, that the utility | ||
previously collected from the customer. | ||
(d) Not later than the 15th day after the effective date of | ||
this Act, the electric utility or transmission and distribution | ||
utility shall send the notice required by Section 39.107(l), | ||
Utilities Code, as added by this Act, to each customer who has | ||
received an advanced meter under the deployment plan. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |