89R9576 CMO-D     By: Hernandez H.B. No. 2222       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the establishment of an energy efficiency program for   school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 447.003, Government Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 447.003.  LIAISON TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.  The state   energy conservation office is the state liaison to the federal   government for the implementation and administration of federal   programs relating to state agency energy matters.  The office shall   administer state programs established under:                (1)  Part D, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation   Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6321 et seq.), and its subsequent   amendments;                (2)  Part G, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation   Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6371 et seq.), and its subsequent   amendments; [and]                (3)  the Clean School Bus Program and other energy   conservation, resilience, and reliability programs established by   the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. No. 117-58),   and its subsequent amendments; and                (4)  other federal energy conservation programs as   assigned to the office by the governor or the legislature.          SECTION 2.  Section 2305.031, Government Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 2305.031.  OIL OVERCHARGE PROGRAMS. (a) The energy   office shall maintain a revolving loan program for the benefit of:                (1)  state agencies, universities, and political   subdivisions; and                 (2)  open-enrollment charter schools for the purposes   of Section 2305.040.          (b)  The energy office shall use oil overcharge funds for the   programs and purposes in this subchapter.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 2305, Government Code, is   amended by adding Section 2305.040 to read as follows:          Sec. 2305.040.  ENERGY EFFICIENT SCHOOLS PROGRAM. (a)  In   this section, "bus" means a bus operated by or contracted for use by   a school district or open-enrollment charter school to transport   schoolchildren.          (b)  The energy efficient schools program is a program to   promote, facilitate, and support the use of electric buses and   solar panels by school districts and open-enrollment charter   schools through grants, partnerships, and loans.          (c)  The energy office is the supervising agency for the   energy efficient schools program.          (d)  A project funded under the energy efficient schools   program may include:                (1)  the acquisition of electric buses and charging   stations by school districts and open-enrollment charter schools;                (2)  the acquisition of solar panels for school   campuses by school districts and open-enrollment charter schools;   and                (3)  electricity storage projects to provide efficient   means of making stored energy available during periods of peak   energy use, including:                      (A)  projects to store electricity in buses; and                      (B)  projects to store electricity produced from   solar generation.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.