# 119-hr-10139: Ratepayer Bill of Rights Act of 2026

119-hr-10139, Ratepayer Bill of Rights Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28] (D-TX); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-26).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10139
- As of: 2026-09-26
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10139
- Congress: 119
- Title: Ratepayer Bill of Rights Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-24
- Sponsor: Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28] (D-TX)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-26

## Summary

**Ratepayer Bill of Rights** would stop households and small businesses from being stuck with the hidden costs and resource strains of large data centers. It would force public disclosures, independent water and grid reviews, binding cost‑recovery agreements, and enforceable refunds and penalties. - Families and small businesses would gain protections against paying for data‑center costs. Companies would have to pay all project‑driven costs and provide refunds with interest within 90 days for improper charges. - Rural communities and farms would get stronger water safeguards. The bill would require independent assessments that water and wastewater needs are met even during drought and block draws from already overdrawn aquifers for data centers defined at 50 megawatts or 100,000 gallons per day. - Local governments, utilities, and developers would face new transparency and oversight rules. Projects would need plain‑language disclosures and at least 60 days notice plus a local meeting, key studies available 30 days before approval, public database postings, limits on using related entities to evade rules, and federal enforcement with whistleblower protections.

## Cosponsors (5)

- Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente [D-TX-34] (D-TX), 2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2026-08-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10] (D-VA), 2026-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30] (D-TX), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stop ratepayer subsidies for data centers: benefit, high. You would not pay project-driven costs for a covered data center. The company would have to pay those costs and sign a binding cost-recovery agreement before construction. The company would post adequate financial security before building. Regulators could require refunds with interest within 90 da…
- Enforcement, refunds, and whistleblower protections: benefit, medium. You would be able to file a simple complaint about a covered data center. Federal and State regulators would be able to audit compliance, require refunds, and assess civil penalties for violations. Employees who report violations would be protected from retaliation. Four federal agencies (FERC, DOE…
- Protect rural water, farms, and reliability: benefit, medium. Before a final service commitment, an independent electric reliability review would have to show the data center will not materially reduce service for existing customers. An independent water availability review would have to show enough water remains for homes, farms, and businesses, including du…
- Public notice and data-center reporting: benefit, low. You would get at least 60 days' notice and a local public meeting before final approval. Cost, water, and reliability studies would be published at least 30 days earlier in plain language. Projects would disclose planned infrastructure, who pays, and expected effects on household, farm, and small-b…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-2763: American Family Act
- 119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-10139 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10139)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-2763: American Family Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2763)
- [119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-17)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10139 (as of 2026-09-26).