,i #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ajaci ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,august #bd1 #bjbf,mr4 ,cuellar introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,education and ,workforce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to require public disclosure of electricity and water use1 infrastructure costs1 rate impacts1 public financial assistance1 and related commitments associated with large data centers1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,ratepayer ,bill of ,rights ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,ratepayer bill of rights 7a7 ,findings 7#a7 ,data centers are driving rapidly growing demand for electricity and water1 often with costs and impacts that are not disclosed to the families1 farmers1 ranchers1 small businesses1 and communities that bear them4 ,this ,act requires data centers to disclose their resource use1 protects reliable and affordable electric and water service1 and ensures that data centers pay their own costs4 7#b7 ,this ,act applies to a data center1 or related group of data centers under common ownership or control1 with a peak electricity demand of at least #ej megawatts or a water withdrawal of at least #ajj1jjj gallons per day1 including expansions that reach those levels4 7b7 ,rights 7#a7 ,right one3 to know a data center's demands ,every ratepayer has the right to know a covered data center's projected and actual electricity and water use1 sources1 and wastewater discharge1 disclosed before operations begin1 reported every six months for electricity and every three months for water1 with prompt notice of any material change4 7#b7 ,right two3 to know the agreements1 infrastructure costs1 rate effects1 and public support ,every ratepayer has the right to know what infrastructure will be built to serve a covered data center1 its cost1 who is paying for it1 its effect on bills for households1 farms1 and small businesses1 and what public assistance1 permits1 and agreements the company received1 published in plain language before final approval4 7#c7 ,right three3 not to pay a data center's costs ,protected ratepayers - including but not limited to households1 farmers1 ranchers1 small businesses1 schools1 and hospitals - have the right not to subsidize a covered data center4 ,the company must pay all project-driven costs1 sign a binding cost-recovery agreement1 and post adequate financial security before construction begins4 ,no project-driven cost may be shifted to ratepayers through rates1 riders1 or surcharges1 and any improper charge must be refunded with interest within #ij days4 7#d7 ,right four3 to reliable and affordable community water ,before a covered data center receives a final water-service commitment1 an independent assessment must confirm that sufficient water will remain for households1 agriculture1 and existing businesses1 including during a drought4 ,the company pays all project-driven water costs1 and a data center may not receive priority over households1 hospitals1 or schools during a water emergency4 7#e7 ,right five3 to protection of rural water1 aquifers1 and agriculture ,private wells1 rural water systems1 farmers1 and ranchers have the right to monitoring1 notice1 and fair compensation if a covered data center harms their water supply4 ,a data center may not draw from an already-overdrawn aquifer without an independent assessment showing no further harm1 and must fund enforceable conservation measures tied to its water use4 7#f7 ,right six3 to reliable electricity and disclosure of on-site power and emissions ,before a covered data center receives a final electric-service commitment1 an independent assessment must confirm it can be served without materially reducing reliability for existing customers4 ,communities have the right to know the capacity1 fuel source1 and emissions of any on-site power generation1 which may not be used to dodge cost1 reliability1 or emissions requirements4 7#g7 ,right seven3 to advance notice1 local information1 and a public voice ,affected residents and ratepayers have the right to at least #fj days' notice and a local public meeting before a final decision1 with cost1 water1 and reliability studies available at least #cj days in advance1 in plain language and in ,english and ,spanish where required4 ,public officials and their families involved in these decisions must disclose relevant financial interests in the project4 7#h7 ,right eight3 to public information that cannot be hidden by contract ,no contract or confidentiality claim may block disclosure of information this ,act requires to be public4 ,aggregate electricity and water use1 costs1 public assistance1 and emissions may not be withheld as trade secrets1 and must be posted to a searchable public database within #cj days4 7#i7 ,right nine3 to protection against loopholes and evasion ,a company may not use separate entities1 meters1 tenants1 parcels1 or project phases to evade this ,act4 ,related or affiliated projects that share infrastructure or are developed together are treated as one project for coverage1 and a material expansion of an existing data center reopens its cost1 water1 and reliability review4 7#aj7 ,right ten3 to enforcement1 refunds1 and accountability ,ratepayers have the right to a simple complaint process1 and ,federal and ,state regulators may audit compliance1 order refunds1 and assess civil penalties for violations4 ,employees who report violations are protected from retaliation1 and ,federal agencies must publish an annual public accounting of complaints1 penalties1 and refunds4 7c7 ,administration ,the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory ,commission1 the ,department of ,energy1 the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 and the ,department of ,labor shall each issue rules and enforce this ,act within their existing jurisdictions over transmission and reliability1 energy data1 environmental and water-quality requirements1 and worker retaliation protections1 respectively4 ,state1 ,tribal1 and local authorities retain their existing jurisdiction over utility rates1 water rights1 land use1 and permitting1 and nothing in this ,act stops them from adopting stronger protections4