By: RodrÃguez S.B. No. 568
(In the Senate - Filed January 20, 2017; February 8, 2017,
read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources &
Economic Development; April 27, 2017, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6,
Nays 2, 2 present not voting; April 27, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 568 By: RodrÃguez
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the posting by the Railroad Commission of Texas on its
Internet website of certain enforcement information.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 81, Natural Resources
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.071 to read as follows:
Sec. 81.071. ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION. (a) The commission
shall post on the commission's Internet website:
(1) comprehensive information regarding the
commission's enforcement of this title and rules, orders, licenses,
permits, and certificates issued under this title, including
information regarding:
(A) inspection and enforcement activity;
(B) violations; and
(C) the amount of penalties finally assessed;
(2) information evidencing quarterly trends regarding
enforcement activity by the commission, including:
(A) the number of inspections conducted;
(B) the number of violations, categorized
according to the degree of severity of the violation and the
statute, rule, order, license, permit, or certificate violated, for
which enforcement action has been taken;
(C) the number of repeat violations determined to
have been committed; and
(D) the number of violations referred to the
attorney general for enforcement; and
(3) an analysis of annual trends regarding enforcement
activity by the commission.
(b) Information required to be posted under this section
must be:
(1) in a searchable format;
(2) organized by county, by operator or other entity,
and by well, if applicable; and
(3) capable of being downloaded in bulk.
SECTION 2. The Railroad Commission of Texas shall comply
with Section 81.071(b), Natural Resources Code, as added by this
Act, not later than January 1, 2019.
SECTION 3. The Railroad Commission of Texas shall implement
Section 81.071, Natural Resources Code, as added by this Act, using
only money that is appropriated to the commission by the General
Appropriations Act for the state fiscal biennium beginning
September 1, 2017, for public information and services and that is
available to be spent for the publication on the commission's
Internet website of information about the commission's inspection
and enforcement activities. If the commission determines that it
is not required to implement that statute because the legislature
has not appropriated money available for that purpose, the
commission shall notify the Legislative Budget Board of that
determination.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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