HB4269 - Relating to bill payment assistance programs for utility customers offered by certain municipalities.

  89R741 CXP-D     By: Perez of El Paso H.B. No. 4269       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to bill payment assistance programs for utility customers   offered by certain municipalities.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 552, Local Government   Code, is amended by adding Section 552.9145 to read as follows:           Sec.   552.9145.     CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR UTILITY   SYSTEM CUSTOMERS IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) In this section,   "utility system" has the meaning assigned by Section 552.914.           (b)     This section applies only to a municipality described by   Section 1502.070(a)(2)(B), Government Code.           (c)     The board of trustees vested with the management and   control of a municipality's utility system has exclusive authority   to establish a bill payment assistance program for utility system   customers:                 (1)     who the utility determines are low-income   customers whose service was disconnected for nonpayment by the   utility system three or more times during a calendar year; or                 (2)     who are 75 years of age or older and have received   a notice of disconnection from service from the utility system for   nonpayment of bills.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2025.