Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2663 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~89R21691~~ ANG-F
	1	+	89R12020 ANG-F
2	2		By: Darby H.B. No. 2663
3		-	~~Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2663:~~
4		-	~~By: Darby C.S.H.B. No. 2663~~
	3	+
	4	+
5	5
6	6
7	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8		AN ACT
9	9		relating to the affirmation required to be made by an operator as
10	10		part of an application to the Railroad Commission of Texas for an
11	11		extension of the deadline for plugging an inactive well; providing
12		-	~~an administrative~~ penalty.
	12	+	for the imposition of a penalty.
13	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14		SECTION 1. Section 89.029, Natural Resources Code, is
15	15		amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g) to
16	16		read as follows:
17	17		(a) An application for an extension of the deadline for
18	18		plugging an inactive well must include a written affirmation by the
19	19		operator:
20	20		(1) that the operator has physically terminated
21	21		electric service to the well's production site; and
22	22		(2) stating the following, as applicable, if the
23	23		operator does not own the surface of the land on which the well is
24	24		located:
25	25		(A) if the well has been inactive for at least
26	26		five years but for less than 10 years as of the date of renewal of
27	27		the operator's organization report, that the operator has emptied
28	28		or purged of production fluids all piping, tanks, vessels, and
29	29		equipment associated with and exclusive to the well; or
30	30		(B) if the well has been inactive for at least 10
31	31		years as of the date of renewal of the operator's organization
32	32		report, that the operator has removed:
33	33		(i) all surface process equipment and
34	34		related piping, tanks, tank batteries, pump jacks, headers, and
35	35		fences, as well as junk and trash as defined by commission rule,
36	36		associated with and exclusive to the well; and
37	37		(ii) all equipment associated with
38		-	providing electric service to the well's production site, except
39		-	for equipment owned by an electric utility, as defined by Section
40		-	31.002, Utilities Code.
41		-	(g) The commission shall impose an administrative penalty
42		-	on a person who provides an affirmation under Subsection (a) but
43		-	fails to terminate electric service to the well's production site
44		-	in accordance with Subsection (a)(1) or remove all equipment and
	38	+	providing electric service to the well's production site.
	39	+	(g) The commission may impose an administrative penalty on a
	40	+	person who provides an affirmation under Subsection (a) but fails
	41	+	to terminate electric service to the well's production site in
	42	+	accordance with Subsection (a)(1) or remove all equipment and
45	43		materials in accordance with Subsection (a)(2)(B). The amount of
46		-	the penalty may not exceed $25,000 for each violation.
	44	+	the penalty may not exceed $10,000 for each violation.
47	45		SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to an
48	46		application for an extension of the deadline for plugging an
49	47		inactive well filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas on or
50	48		after the effective date of this Act. An application for an
51	49		extension of the deadline for plugging an inactive well filed with
52	50		the Railroad Commission of Texas before the effective date of this
53	51		Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was
54	52		submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
55	53		purpose.
56	54		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
57	55		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
58	56		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
59	57		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
60	58		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.