86R4693 BRG-D
By: Anchia H.B. No. 858
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 81.073 to read as follows:
Sec. 81.073. 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 complaints received and the
manner in which they were resolved;
(B) the total number of inspections conducted,
the number of inspections conducted following the receipt of a
complaint, and the number of inspections conducted on the
commission's own initiative;
(C) 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;
(D) the number of repeat violations determined to
have been committed; and
(E) the number of violations referred to the
attorney general for enforcement; and
(3) an analysis of annual trends regarding complaints
filed with the commission and 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 83.073(b), Natural Resources Code, as added by this
Act, not later than January 1, 2021.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.