| 1 | 1 | | 86R12032 SLB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 2064 |
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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 methane gas reduction by The University of Texas |
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| 8 | 8 | | System. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 66, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 66.455 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 66.455. METHANE REDUCTION PLANS. Under each lease |
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| 13 | 13 | | relating to oil or gas issued under this subchapter, the lessee |
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| 14 | 14 | | shall implement a methane reduction plan reviewed and approved by |
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| 15 | 15 | | the board of regents of The University of Texas System under |
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| 16 | 16 | | procedures adopted by the board. The University of Texas Bureau of |
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| 17 | 17 | | Economic Geology shall assist the board and the lessee in matters |
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| 18 | 18 | | relating to the plan. |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 2. (a) In this section, "bureau" means The |
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| 20 | 20 | | University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The bureau shall: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) conduct a study on best practices in the reduction |
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| 23 | 23 | | of methane emissions from oil and gas operations; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) develop recommendations for legislation that |
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| 25 | 25 | | would result in the implementation of best practices in the |
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| 26 | 26 | | reduction of methane emissions from oil and gas operations. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) The study must investigate: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) the technical and economic potential to minimize |
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| 29 | 29 | | methane emissions from oil and gas operations on land held by The |
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| 30 | 30 | | University of Texas System; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) standards in place in other states and across the |
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| 32 | 32 | | industry to minimize methane emissions from oil and gas operations; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) the savings achievable through the adoption of |
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| 34 | 34 | | standards identified in Subdivision (2); and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) policies designed to reduce methane gas emissions |
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| 36 | 36 | | on land held by The University of Texas System. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) Not later than December 1, 2020, the bureau shall submit |
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| 38 | 38 | | to each standing committee of the legislature having primary |
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| 39 | 39 | | jurisdiction over oil and gas development: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) a report of the findings of the study conducted |
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| 41 | 41 | | under this section; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) recommendations for legislation that would result |
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| 43 | 43 | | in the implementation of best practices in the reduction of methane |
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| 44 | 44 | | emissions from oil and gas operations. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) This section expires January 1, 2021. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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