Capitol Pipeline will be in your inbox every Tuesday with links to the bills being tracked by TRWA, updates on the progress of key pieces of legislation, and calls to action on legislation that directly impacts rural water systems across Texas.
TRWA in the Texas Tribune: The Texas Tribune published an article on Monday by TRWA Executive Director and General Counsel Lara Zent outlining the rising cost of service associated with CCN decertification and compensation laws, as well as acreage-based GCD permitting rules. The article can be found in its entirety here. New Bills of Interest:
Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs): S.B. 700, filed by Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) and Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) mandates that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) establish a streamlined process for rate changes for IOUs. The bill also creates a new “Class D” of utilities, for systems with fewer than 500 connections, and redefines systems with up to 2,300 connections as “Class C” utilities.
Open Government:S.B. 239 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) would require districts with a population of more than 500 people to designate a place within the district for conducting all meetings. S.B. 494 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) lowers the notice requirement for emergency meetings from two hours to one hour, and temporarily suspends a government entity’s responsibilities under the Public Information Act during times of catastrophe. Finally, H.B. 1229 by Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) would allow all notice provisions in law requiring posted notice in a newspaper to be done on the entity’s website instead.
Visit our online tracker to follow bills of interest for member water systems during the 86th Legislature.
Water for All Texans: Website Launch TRWA is proud to announce the website launch of the Water for All Texans: Keeping Water Affordable and Accessible for All Texans campaign. To support our efforts at the Capitol, we have launched this campaign to educate the public about the two main issues we are tackling this legislative session. Click here to learn more!
Rural Water Day:
Wednesday, March 27 Mark your calendar for Rural Water Day at the Capitol: a chance to come together as one and tell our story with a powerful, unified voice. Don’t miss this opportunity to join forces with your peers as we engage our elected representatives together. Click here to learn more
