Bill Text: TX SB937 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to priorities for restoration of electric service following an extended power outage.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective on 9/1/11 [SB937 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB937-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 937 | ||
|
|
||
| relating to priorities for restoration of electric service | ||
| following an extended power outage. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 38, Utilities Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 38.072 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 38.072. PRIORITIES FOR POWER RESTORATION TO CERTAIN | ||
| MEDICAL FACILITIES. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Assisted living facility" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 247.002, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (2) "Extended power outage" has the meaning assigned | ||
| by Section 13.1395, Water Code. | ||
| (3) "Hospice services" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 142.001, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (4) "Nursing facility" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 242.301, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (b) The commission by rule shall require an electric utility | ||
| to give to the following the same priority that it gives to a | ||
| hospital in the utility's emergency operations plan for restoring | ||
| power after an extended power outage: | ||
| (1) a nursing facility; | ||
| (2) an assisted living facility; and | ||
| (3) a facility that provides hospice services. | ||
| (c) The rules adopted by the commission under Subsection (b) | ||
| must allow an electric utility to exercise the electric utility's | ||
| discretion to prioritize power restoration for a facility after an | ||
| extended power outage in accordance with the facility's needs and | ||
| with the characteristics of the geographic area in which power must | ||
| be restored. | ||
| (d) A municipally owned utility shall report the emergency | ||
| operations plan for restoring power to a facility listed in | ||
| Subsection (b) to the municipality's governing body or the body | ||
| vested with the power to manage and operate the municipally owned | ||
| utility. | ||
| (e) An electric cooperative shall report the emergency | ||
| operations plan for restoring power to a facility listed in | ||
| Subsection (b) to the board of directors of the electric | ||
| cooperative. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 937 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 7, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 937 passed the House on | ||
| May 25, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, one | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
