| 1 | 1 | | By: Burnam H.B. No. 3597 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3597: |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Canales C.S.H.B. No. 3597 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to application and notification requirements for a permit |
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| 9 | 9 | | to drill an oil or gas well in or near an easement held by the Texas |
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| 10 | 10 | | Department of Transportation. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 91, Natural Resources |
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| 13 | 13 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 91.021 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 91.021. NOTICE OF PERMIT TO DRILL WELL IN |
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| 15 | 15 | | TRANSPORTATION EASEMENT. (a) In this section, "department" means |
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| 16 | 16 | | the Texas Department of Transportation. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The commission shall adopt rules to require that an |
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| 18 | 18 | | application for a permit to drill an oil or gas well include an |
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| 19 | 19 | | affirmation as to whether or not the well is located within an |
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| 20 | 20 | | easement held by the department or within 50 yards of an easement |
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| 21 | 21 | | held by the department. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) Not later than the fourteenth day after the date the |
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| 23 | 23 | | commission receives an application for a permit to drill an oil or |
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| 24 | 24 | | gas well that contains an affirmation that the well is located |
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| 25 | 25 | | within an easement held by the department or within 50 yards of an |
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| 26 | 26 | | easement held by the department, the commission shall transmit the |
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| 27 | 27 | | application to the department. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (d) This section does not grant to the department any |
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| 29 | 29 | | authority regarding the approval of an application for a permit to |
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| 30 | 30 | | drill an oil or gas well. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Section 91.021, Natural Resources Code, as added |
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| 32 | 32 | | by this Act, applies only to a permit application filed with the |
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| 33 | 33 | | Railroad Commission of Texas on or after the effective date of this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act. A permit application filed with the commission before the |
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| 35 | 35 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the |
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| 36 | 36 | | application was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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| 37 | 37 | | that purpose. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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