By:  Earley                                           H.B. No. 1523
       73R5383 SMH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the filing of electric logs with the Railroad
    1-3  Commission of Texas.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 91.552(a), Natural Resources Code, is
    1-6  amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, at the
    1-8  time a person files with the commission a completion report for a
    1-9  well or, in the case of a dry hole, an application to plug a well,
   1-10  the person shall also file with the commission a copy of each <a>
   1-11  basic electric log made by or on behalf of the person after
   1-12  September 1, 1985, in conjunction with the drilling of the well
   1-13  that meets basic criteria established by the commission.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  Section 91.553(b), Natural Resources Code, is
   1-15  amended to read as follows:
   1-16        (b)  At the time an electric log is <required to be> filed
   1-17  with the commission under Section 91.552 of this code, the person
   1-18  filing <required to file> the electric log may file a written
   1-19  request with the commission asking that the electric log remain
   1-20  confidential and not be made available as public information.  <On
   1-21  filing this request, the electric log or copy of the electric log
   1-22  required to be filed with the commission may be retained by the
   1-23  person required to file the electric log, and the electric log may
   1-24  remain in the possession of the person for the period of
    2-1  confidentiality and any extensions of that period.>  On filing of
    2-2  the request for confidentiality, the electric log becomes
    2-3  confidential and remains confidential for a period of one year
    2-4  after the date that the electric log is <required to be> filed with
    2-5  the commission.
    2-6        SECTION 3.  Section 91.554, Natural Resources Code, is
    2-7  amended to read as follows:
    2-8        Sec. 91.554.  Availability of Confidential Electric Logs.
    2-9  The <If the commission requires an electric log to be filed before
   2-10  the expiration of a period of confidentiality, the> commission
   2-11  shall make a confidential <that> electric log available for
   2-12  inspection during the period of confidentiality only to:
   2-13              (1)  a person authorized in writing by the person who
   2-14  filed the electric log with the commission; and
   2-15              (2)  members of the commission and its employees in the
   2-16  exercise of their powers and duties under this code.
   2-17        SECTION 4.  Sections 91.553(c), (d), and (e) are repealed.
   2-18        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
   2-19  applies only to completion reports and applications to plug wells
   2-20  filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas on or after that date.
   2-21  Completion reports and applications to plug wells filed before the
   2-22  effective date of this Act are governed by the law under which they
   2-23  were filed, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
   2-24        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-25  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-26  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-27  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-1  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.