By: Stickland H.B. No. 203
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to changing the name of the Railroad Commission of Texas to
the Texas Oil and Gas Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 81, Natural Resources
Code, is amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 81. TEXAS OIL AND GAS [RAILROAD] COMMISSION [OF TEXAS]
SECTION 2. Section 81.001, Natural Resources Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 81.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Oil and Gas
[Railroad] Commission [of Texas].
(2) "Commissioner" means any member of the Texas Oil
and Gas [Railroad] Commission [of Texas].
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 81, Natural Resources
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.003 to read as follows:
Sec. 81.003. TEXAS OIL AND GAS COMMISSION. (a) The
Railroad Commission of Texas is renamed the Texas Oil and Gas
Commission.
(b) A reference in law to the Railroad Commission of Texas
means the Texas Oil and Gas Commission.
SECTION 4. (a) Effective January 1, 2014:
(1) the name of the Railroad Commission of Texas is
changed to the Texas Oil and Gas Commission, and all powers, duties,
rights, and obligations of the Railroad Commission of Texas are the
powers, duties, rights, and obligations of the Texas Oil and Gas
Commission;
(2) a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas is a
member of the Texas Oil and Gas Commission; and
(3) any appropriation to the Railroad Commission of
Texas is an appropriation to the Texas Oil and Gas Commission.
(b) Effective January 1, 2014, a reference in law to the
Railroad Commission of Texas is a reference to the Texas Oil and Gas
Commission.
(c) The Texas Oil and Gas Commission is the successor to the
Railroad Commission of Texas in all respects. All personnel,
equipment, data, documents, facilities, contracts, items, other
property, rules, decisions, and proceedings of or involving the
Railroad Commission of Texas are unaffected by the change in the
name of the agency.
(d) The Railroad Commission of Texas shall adopt a timetable
for phasing in the change of the agency's name so as to minimize the
fiscal impact of the name change. Until January 1, 2014, to allow
for phasing in the change of the agency's name and in accordance
with the timetable established as required by this section, the
agency may perform any act authorized by law for the Railroad
Commission of Texas as the Railroad Commission of Texas or as the
Texas Oil and Gas Commission. Any act of the Railroad Commission of
Texas acting as the Texas Oil and Gas Commission on or after the
effective date of this Act and before January 1, 2014, is an act of
the Railroad Commission of Texas.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.