| 1 | 1 | | 85R3574 JAM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: RodrÃguez S.B. No. 569 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a review and report by the Railroad Commission of Texas |
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| 8 | 8 | | regarding the oversight and enforcement of unpermitted discharges |
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| 9 | 9 | | of oil and gas waste or of other substances or materials associated |
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| 10 | 10 | | with certain operations or activities regulated by the commission. |
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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. (a) In this Act: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Commission" means the Railroad Commission of |
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| 14 | 14 | | Texas. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Oil and gas waste" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 16 | 16 | | Section 91.1011, Natural Resources Code. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Not later than September 1, 2018, the commission shall: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) review the commission's rules regarding the |
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| 19 | 19 | | prevention, reporting, and documentation of unpermitted discharges |
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| 20 | 20 | | of oil and gas waste or of any other substance or material |
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| 21 | 21 | | associated with any operation or activity regulated by the |
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| 22 | 22 | | commission under Section 91.101(a)(1), (2), or (3), Natural |
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| 23 | 23 | | Resources Code, and the enforcement of penalties for unpermitted |
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| 24 | 24 | | discharges of such waste, substances, or materials; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) submit to the standing committees in the senate |
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| 26 | 26 | | and house of representatives having primary jurisdiction over |
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| 27 | 27 | | natural resources a report that: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) details the commission's existing rules |
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| 29 | 29 | | regarding the prevention, reporting, and documentation of |
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| 30 | 30 | | unpermitted discharges of oil and gas waste or of a substance or |
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| 31 | 31 | | material described by Subdivision (1) of this subsection and the |
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| 32 | 32 | | enforcement of penalties for unpermitted discharges of such waste, |
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| 33 | 33 | | substances, or materials; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (B) proposes changes to the rules that would |
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| 35 | 35 | | improve the commission's ability to prevent, document, and respond |
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| 36 | 36 | | to unpermitted discharges of oil and gas waste or of a substance or |
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| 37 | 37 | | material described by Subdivision (1) of this subsection and to |
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| 38 | 38 | | bring enforcement action against responsible parties; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (C) proposes any legislative action necessary to |
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| 40 | 40 | | improve the commission's ability to prevent, document, and respond |
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| 41 | 41 | | to unpermitted discharges of oil and gas waste or of a substance or |
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| 42 | 42 | | material described by Subdivision (1) of this subsection and to |
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| 43 | 43 | | bring enforcement action against responsible parties. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 45 | 45 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 46 | 46 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 47 | 47 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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