Relating to a program to provide assistance for certain retail electric customers.

HB 1359 creates an "Income-Based Assistance Fund" to provide financial help for low-income retail electric customers in Texas. The bill establishes a trust fund financed by a fee (up to 65 cents per megawatt hour) charged to retail electric providers and collected from customers based on usage. This fund, managed by the comptroller and administered by the Health and Human Services Commission, will offer monetary assistance to eligible low-income households identified through an automatic process. The program directly affects low-income electricity users and requires electric providers to collect the fee, with the commission setting the fee amount biennially to cover administrative costs.