| 1 | 1 | | 86R1337 JXC-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio III H.B. No. 1147 |
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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 requirement that the Railroad Commission of Texas |
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| 8 | 8 | | require the installation and use of subsurface safety valves on oil |
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| 9 | 9 | | and gas wells drilled in certain areas. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 91, Natural Resources |
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| 12 | 12 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 91.1016 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 91.1016. SUBSURFACE SAFETY VALVES IN CERTAIN AREAS. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) To prevent spills or releases of oil, gas, and related |
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| 15 | 15 | | hydrocarbons, the commission by rule shall require the installation |
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| 16 | 16 | | and use of subsurface safety valves in oil and gas wells drilled in: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) bays and estuaries; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) flood zones, particularly areas adjacent to rivers |
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| 19 | 19 | | or other bodies of water; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) areas subject to hurricanes or other catastrophic |
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| 21 | 21 | | events. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) To determine whether a subsurface safety valve |
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| 23 | 23 | | installed in an oil or gas well is working properly, the commission |
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| 24 | 24 | | may inspect the valve or require the operator of the well to submit |
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| 25 | 25 | | to the commission information about the valve. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 27 | 27 | | to an oil or gas well for which the application for the drilling |
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| 28 | 28 | | permit is submitted to the Railroad Commission of Texas on or after |
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| 29 | 29 | | the effective date of the rules adopted under Section 91.1016, |
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| 30 | 30 | | Natural Resources Code, as added by this Act. A well for which the |
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| 31 | 31 | | application for the drilling permit is submitted before the date |
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| 32 | 32 | | the rules take effect is governed by the law in effect when the |
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| 33 | 33 | | application is submitted, and that law is continued in effect for |
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| 34 | 34 | | that purpose. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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