By: Rodriguez of Travis H.B. No. 1086
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to interruption of electric service by a residential
  landlord.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 92.008, Property Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (f) and adding Subsections (h), (i),
  (j), (k), (l), (m), and (n), (o), (p), and (q) to read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by this section, a [A] landlord may
  not interrupt or cause the interruption of water, wastewater, gas,
  or electric service furnished to a tenant by the landlord as an
  incident of the tenancy or by other agreement unless the
  interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an
  emergency.
         (f)  If a landlord or a landlord's agent violates this
  section, the tenant may:
               (1)  either recover possession of the premises or
  terminate the lease; and
               (2) in addition to other remedies available under law,
  recover from the landlord an amount equal to the sum of the tenant's
  actual damages, one month's rent or $500 plus $1,000 whichever is
  greater
  delinquent rents or other sums for which the tenant is liable to the
  landlord.
         (h)  Subject to Subsections (i), (j), (k), (m), and (o), a
  landlord who submeters or allocates or prorates nonsubmetered
  master metered electricity may interrupt or cause the interruption
  of electric service for nonpayment by the tenant of electric bill
  issued to the tenant if:
               (1)  the landlord's right to interrupt electric service
  is in the written lease;
               (2)  the tenant's electric bill is not paid on or before
  the 12th day after the date the electric bill is issued;
               (3)  advance written notice of the proposed termination
  is delivered to the tenant by mail or hand delivery separately from
  any other written content that:
                     (A)  prominently displays the words "electricity
  termination notice" or similar language either underlined or in
  bold;
                     (B)  includes:
                           (i)  the date on which the electric service
  will be interrupted;
                           (ii)  a location where the tenant may go
  during the landlord's normal business hours to make arrangements to
  pay the bill to avoid interruption of electric service;
                           (iii)  the amount that must be paid to avoid
  interruption of electric service; and
                           (iv)  that when the tenant makes a payment to
  avoid interruption of electric service, the landlord may not apply
  that payment to rent or other amounts owed under the lease;
                           (v)  that the landlord may not evict a tenant
  for failure to pay an electric bill when the landlord has
  interrupted the tenant's electric service unless the tenant fails
  to pay for the electric service after two days of the interruption,
  not including weekends or state and federal holidays; and
                           (vi)  a description of the tenant's rights
  under Subsection (j) to avert interruption of service if the
  interruption will cause a person residing in the tenant's dwelling
  to become seriously ill or more seriously ill; and
                     (C)  is delivered not earlier than the first day
  after the bill is past due or later than the fifth day before the
  interruption date stated in the notice; and
                     (4)  If a landlord interrupts or causes the
  interruption of electric service of the leased premises pursuant to
  this subsection, the landlord, at the same time, delivers a written
  notice by hand delivery or placing it on the tenant's front door
  that:
                     (A)  prominently displays the words "electricity
  termination notice" or similar language either underlined or in
  bold;
                     (B)  includes:
                           (i)  the date the electric service has been
  interrupted;
                           (ii)  a location where the tenant may go
  during the landlord's normal business hours to make arrangements to
  pay the bill to reestablish interruption of electric service;
                           (iii)  the amount that must be paid to
  reestablish electric service;
                           (iv)  that when the tenant makes a payment to
  reestablish electric service, a landlord may not apply that payment
  to rent or any other amounts owed under the lease;
                           (v)  that the landlord may not evict a tenant
  for failure to pay an electric bill when the landlord has
  interrupted the tenant's electric service unless the tenant fails
  to pay for the electric service after two days of the interruption,
  not including weekends or state and federal holidays; and
                           (vi)  a description of the tenant's rights
  under Subsection (j) to avert interruption of service if the
  interruption will cause a person residing in the tenant's dwelling
  to become seriously ill or more seriously ill.
         (i)  Unless a dangerous condition exists or the tenant
  requests disconnection, a landlord may not interrupt or cause the
  interruption of electric service under Subsection (h) on a day:
               (1)  on which the landlord or a representative of the
  landlord is not available to collect electric bill payments and
  reestablish electric service;
               (2)  that immediately precedes a day described by
  Subdivision (1); or
               (3)  on which:
                     (A)  the previous day's highest temperature did
  not exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted
  to remain at or below that level for the next 24 hours according to
  the nearest National Weather Service reports; or
                     (B)  the National Weather Service issues a heat
  advisory for a county in which the premises is located or has issued
  such an advisory on one of the two preceding days.
         (j)  A landlord may not interrupt or cause the interruption
  of electric service under Subsection (h) of a tenant who, before the
  interruption date specified in the notice required by Subsection
  (h)(3), has:
               (1)  established that the interruption will cause a
  person residing in the tenant's dwelling to become seriously ill or
  more seriously ill by having a physician, nurse, nurse
  practitioner, or other similar licensed health care practitioner
  attending to the person who is or may become ill provide a written
  statement to the landlord or a representative of the landlord
  stating that the person will become seriously ill or more seriously
  ill if the electric service is interrupted; and
               (2)  entered into a deferred payment plan that complies
  with Subsection (l).
         (k)  If a tenant has established, in accordance with
  Subsection (j), the circumstances necessary to avoid electric
  service interruption under that subsection, the landlord may not
  interrupt or cause the interruption of the tenant's electric
  service under Subsection (h) before:
               (1)  the 63rd day after the date those circumstances
  are established; or
               (2)  an earlier date agreed to by the landlord and the
  tenant.
         (l)  A deferred payment plan for the purposes of this section
  must be in writing.  The deferred payment plan must allow the tenant
  to pay the outstanding electric bill in installments that extend
  beyond the due date of the next electric bill and must provide that
  the delinquent amount may be paid in equal installments over a
  period equal to at least three electric service billing cycles.
         (m)  A landlord may not interrupt or cause the interruption
  of electric service under Subsection (h) to a tenant who receives
  energy assistance for a billing period during which the landlord
  receives a pledge, letter of intent, purchase order, or other
  notification that the energy assistance provider is forwarding
  sufficient payment to continue the electric service.
         (n)  Upon payment of a delinquent electric bill or entry into
  a deferred payment plan during normal business hours, the landlord
  shall reconnect the tenant's electric service within two hours of
  payment or entry into the deferred payment plan.
         (o)  A landlord may not interrupt or cause the interruption
  of electric service under Subsection (h) for any of the following
  reasons:
               (1)  a delinquency in payment for electric service
  furnished to a previous tenant;
               (2)  failure to pay non-electric bills, rent, or other
  fees;
               (3)  failure to pay electric bills that are six or more
  months delinquent; and
               (4)  failure to pay an electric bill disputed by the
  tenant, unless the landlord has conducted an investigation as shall
  be required by the particular case, and has reported the results in
  writing to the tenant.
         (p)  A landlord who provides notice in accordance with
  Subsection (h) may not apply a payment made by a tenant to avoid
  interruption of utilities or reestablish electric service to rent
  or any other amounts owed under the lease.
         (q)  The landlord may not evict a tenant for failure to pay an
  electric bill when the landlord has interrupted the tenant's
  electric service under Subsection (h) unless the tenant fails to
  pay for the electric service after two days of the interruption, not
  including weekends or state and federal holidays.
         (r)  A reconnect fee may be applied if electric service to
  the tenant is disconnected for nonpayment of bills in accordance
  with (h) of this section.  Such reconnect fee shall be calculated
  based on the average cost to the owner for the expenses associated
  with the reconnection, but under no circumstances shall exceed $10.  
  No reconnect charge may be applied unless agreed to by the tenant in
  a written lease which states the exact dollar amount of such
  reconnect charge.  No fees may be applied to a deferred payment plan
  under this section.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an electric bill that becomes delinquent on or after the
  effective date of this Act. An electric bill that becomes
  delinquent before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
  law applicable to the delinquency 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, 2013.