Bill Text: TX HB3639 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to notice to a customer or tenant required after an intentional shutoff of electric and water service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-22 - Referred to State Affairs [HB3639 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB3639-Introduced.html
87R11991 BRG/NC-D | ||
By: Lopez | H.B. No. 3639 |
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relating to notice to a customer or tenant required after an | ||
intentional shutoff of electric and water service. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 91, Property Code, is amended by adding | ||
Section 91.007 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 91.007. NOTICE REQUIRED FOR EMERGENCY UTILITY SHUTOFF. | ||
Not later than four hours after a landlord receives a notice under | ||
Section 17.011, Utilities Code, or Section 13.1397, Water Code, for | ||
the emergency shutoff of electric power or water for a dwelling or | ||
commercial building leased to a tenant, the landlord shall notify | ||
the tenant of the shutoff by e-mail or text message. The notice must | ||
include: | ||
(1) the estimated time and date that the electric | ||
power or water will be restored to the dwelling or building; and | ||
(2) whether the shutoff is part of a rolling outage if | ||
the shutoff is for electric power. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 17.011 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 17.011. NOTICE REQUIRED FOR INTENTIONAL OUTAGES. Not | ||
later than three hours after an electric utility, municipally owned | ||
utility, or electric cooperative intentionally shuts off electric | ||
power to a customer in response to an emergency event, the utility | ||
or cooperative shall notify the customer of the shutoff by e-mail or | ||
text message. The notice must include the following information: | ||
(1) the estimated time and date that the utility or | ||
cooperative will restore electric power to the customer; and | ||
(2) whether the shutoff is part of a rolling outage. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended | ||
by adding Section 13.1397 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 13.1397. NOTICE REQUIRED FOR INTENTIONAL SHUTOFF OF | ||
SERVICE. Not later than three hours after a retail public utility | ||
intentionally shuts off water service to a customer in response to | ||
an emergency event, the utility shall notify the customer of the | ||
shutoff by e-mail or text message. The notice must include the | ||
estimated time and date that the utility will restore water service | ||
to the customer. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |