H.B. No. 1359 aims to establish a program to assist low-income retail electric customers in Texas. The bill amends the Utilities Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission to develop an automatic process for identifying low-income customers and to implement a new income-based assistance fund. This fund will be used to provide bill payment assistance during extreme weather emergencies and will prioritize programs that assist low-income customers, including one-time bill payment assistance for critical care residential customers facing disconnection. The bill also mandates the commission to adopt rules for eligibility criteria and enrollment methods for the assistance programs.

Additionally, the bill modifies several sections of the Utilities Code to clarify the applicability of certain provisions to municipally owned utilities and electric cooperatives, specifically excluding them from some regulations while including new sections related to the income-based assistance fund. The bill introduces new sections that outline the funding sources for the assistance fund, including legislative appropriations and donations, and specifies that no fees can be charged to customers receiving assistance. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Utilities Code 17.007, Utilities Code 39.002, Utilities Code 40.001, Utilities Code 41.001 (Utilities Code 17, Utilities Code 39, Utilities Code 41, Utilities Code 40)
House Committee Report: Utilities Code 17.007, Utilities Code 39.002, Utilities Code 39.402, Utilities Code 39.452, Utilities Code 39.454, Utilities Code 39.552, Utilities Code 40.001, Utilities Code 41.001 (Utilities Code 17, Utilities Code 39, Utilities Code 41, Utilities Code 40)
Engrossed: Utilities Code 17.007, Utilities Code 39.002, Utilities Code 39.402, Utilities Code 39.452, Utilities Code 39.454, Utilities Code 39.552, Utilities Code 40.001, Utilities Code 41.001 (Utilities Code 17, Utilities Code 39, Utilities Code 41, Utilities Code 40)