| 1 | 1 | | 89R1669 JAM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Goodwin H.B. No. 2255 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the rights of the owner of the surface of the land on |
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| 10 | 10 | | which certain inactive wells subject to the jurisdiction of the |
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| 11 | 11 | | Railroad Commission of Texas are located in connection with the |
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| 12 | 12 | | performance of certain tests on the well. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 89.026, Natural Resources Code, is |
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| 15 | 15 | | amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to |
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| 16 | 16 | | read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) At [The operator must notify the office of the |
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| 18 | 18 | | commission oil and gas division district in which an inactive well |
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| 19 | 19 | | is located at] least three days before the date on which the |
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| 20 | 20 | | operator proposes to conduct [conducts] a fluid level or hydraulic |
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| 21 | 21 | | pressure test of an inactive [the] well, the operator must notify: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the office of the commission oil and gas division |
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| 23 | 23 | | district in which the well is located; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) the owner of the surface estate of the tract of |
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| 25 | 25 | | land on which the well is located. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b-1) An operator [and] may not conduct a [the] test under |
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| 27 | 27 | | this section without the approval of the office to which notice of |
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| 28 | 28 | | the proposed test is given under Subsection (b)(1). The commission |
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| 29 | 29 | | may require that a test be witnessed by a commission employee. A |
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| 30 | 30 | | surface estate owner to whom notice of a proposed test is given |
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| 31 | 31 | | under Subsection (b)(2) is entitled to witness the test. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. Section 89.026, Natural Resources Code, as |
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| 33 | 33 | | amended by this Act, applies only to a fluid level or hydraulic |
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| 34 | 34 | | pressure test conducted on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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