1. (a) This chapter is intended to establish a comprehensive regulatory system under Texas Water Code (TWC), Chapter 13 to assure rates, operations, and services which are just and reasonable to the consumer and the retail public utilities, and to establish the rights and responsibilities of both the retail public utility and consumer. This chapter shall be given a fair and impartial construction to obtain these objectives and shall be applied uniformly regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or marital status. This chapter shall also govern the procedure for the institution, conduct and determination of all water and sewer rate causes and proceedings before the commission. These sections shall not be construed so as to enlarge, diminish, modify, or alter the jurisdiction, powers, or authority of the commission or the substantive rights of any person.
2. (b) A rule, form, policy, procedure, or decision of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) related to a power, duty, function, program, or activity transferred pursuant to House Bill 1600 and Senate Bill 567, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session (this Act), continues in effect as a rule, form, policy, procedure, or decision of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (commission) and remains in effect until amended or replaced by the commission. Beginning September 1, 2013, the commission may propose rules, forms, policies, and procedures related to a function to be transferred to the commission under this Act.
3. (c) It is the responsibility of each retail public utility to ensure that it remains in compliance with all applicable rules and requirements, including those imposed by TCEQ or other agencies. Nothing in this chapter relieves a retail public utility from the obligation to file reports or otherwise provide notice and information to TCEQ of regulated activities as required by TCEQ rules.

Source Note:The provisions of this §24.1 adopted to be effective September 1, 2014, 39 TexReg 5903.