Lawmaker successfully amends major utility bill to do away with unfair late fee charges

4/15/07

Austin, Texas -- In a stunning victory for consumers, State Representative Hubert Vo Thursday evening won approval for his amendment which requires electric utility providers to use the postmark date on payment envelopes as the official date paid. The bill he amended is SB 482.

"My amendment will remove the uncertainty and provide the only verifiable way to prove payment dates," Vo said. "Currently consumers and business owners who pay their electric bills by mail before the due date are at the mercy of the utility provider as to whether their payment gets posted in time to avoid a late fee."

Unable to get an up or down vote in committee on his House Bill 478, Vo decided to file it as an amendment to the big electric utility bill that was up for vote on the House floor Thursday. Vo's original bill covered all utilities but had to be narrowed to just electric providers to conform with SB 482.

Vo pointed out during the debate that his amendment would require the utilities to do the same thing as other entities such as the federal Internal Revenue Service or Texas state agencies or state district courts do now concerning postmark dates.

Vo said, "I hope that when this bill goes to the conference committee, my amendment stays in the final version. It’s time to close this giant loophole and make sure that consumers are protected."

HUBERT NEEDS YOUR HELP TO KEEP THE PROTECTIONS IN THE BILL!

Hubert's impressive victory for consumers could still be overturned in the conference committee that will be appointed to work out differences between the House and Senate version of the larger bill.

"I hope my amendment stays in the final version," Hubert says. "It's time to close this giant loophole and make sure that consumers are protected."

You can help by letting your representatives know you want them to stand on the side of consumers, not the utility lobby. Encourage them to keep Hubert's common-sense amendment in the final bill so there can be no dispute about whether your electric bill was paid on time