| 1 | 1 | | 88R14595 JAM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rogers H.B. No. 4360 |
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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 the inventory and inspection of certain converted |
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| 8 | 8 | | wells. |
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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 81, Natural Resources |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 81.0561 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 81.0561. INVENTORY AND INSPECTION OF CERTAIN WELLS. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) The commission shall maintain and make publicly available an |
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| 14 | 14 | | inventory of wells originally drilled or operated as an oil or gas |
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| 15 | 15 | | well under a permit issued by the commission and subsequently |
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| 16 | 16 | | conveyed to a landowner for use as a water well. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The commission shall: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) require a form to be filed with the commission |
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| 19 | 19 | | regarding the conveyance of a well described by Subsection (a) to |
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| 20 | 20 | | provide notice that the well that is the subject of the conveyance: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (A) will be included in the publicly available |
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| 22 | 22 | | inventory required by Subsection (a); and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) may be subject to inspection under Subsection |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c); and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) provide notice to the Texas Commission on |
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| 26 | 26 | | Environmental Quality of each form described by Subdivision (1) |
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| 27 | 27 | | that is filed. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the Texas |
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| 29 | 29 | | Commission on Environmental Quality shall inspect a well that is |
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| 30 | 30 | | the subject of a form described by Subsection (b) between the 20th |
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| 31 | 31 | | and 25th anniversary of the date the form is filed with commission. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is not |
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| 33 | 33 | | required to perform an inspection under Subsection (c) if the |
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| 34 | 34 | | surface owner of the well files with the commission a form |
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| 35 | 35 | | certifying that the well is in good working order or has been |
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| 36 | 36 | | properly plugged. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. Section 81.0561, Natural Resources Code, as |
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| 38 | 38 | | added by this Act, applies only to a well for which a form giving |
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| 39 | 39 | | notice of the conveyance of a well described by Subsection (a) of |
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| 40 | 40 | | that section is filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas on or |
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| 41 | 41 | | after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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