88R14146 CXP-F By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 4735 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to discounted rates for electric service provided to certain political subdivisions. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 36, Utilities Code, is amended by adding Section 36.3511 to read as follows: Sec. 36.3511. DISCOUNTED RATES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a facility receiving electric service in a county that is located on the international border and contains a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, each electric utility and municipally owned utility shall discount charges for electric service provided to a facility of a public school district or other political subdivision that: (1) is authorized to impose an ad valorem tax; or (2) provides public housing. (c) The discount is a 20 percent reduction of the utility's base rates that would otherwise be paid under the applicable tariffed rate. (d) An electric or municipally owned utility is exempt from this section if the 20 percent discount results in a reduction equal to more than one percent of the utility's total annual revenues. (e) An electric utility may not recover from residential customers or any other customer class the assigned and allocated costs of serving a public school district or other political subdivision that receives a discount under this section. (f) Each electric utility shall file tariffs with the commission reflecting the discount required under this section. The initial tariff filing is not a rate change for purposes of Subchapter C. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this Act. A contract entered into before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.