HLP C.S.H.B. 3162 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


ENERGY RESOURCES
C.S.H.B. 3162
By: Brimer
4-23-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

Goal 2 of the Railroad Commission's Strategic Plan is to increase the
exploration, development and conservation of domestic energy supplies by,
among other things, providing accessibility to energy-related information
maintained by the Commission.  Essential to this effort is the development
and maintenance of digital data bases that may be easily accessed through
the World Wide Web or through other flexible access capabilities. 

PURPOSE

This bill would allow the Railroad Commission to charge fees from
commercial users for the purpose of creating a database of oil and gas
information maintained by the RRC in digital formats.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill expressly grants  rulemaking authority to the Railroad
Commission of Texas in SECTION 2 (Title 112, Revises Statutes, Article
6447k, subections (a) and (d)). 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 SECTION 1.  Article 6447a-1, Revised Statutes, is amended to define and
clarify that    Commission means the Railroad Commission of Texas in
Articles 6447b   6447k. 

 SECTION 2. Amends Title 112, Revised Statutes, as follows:

   (a) Allows the RRC to charge fees necessary to digitize data, develop
systems and sustain access to RRC digital data for purchases of oil and
gas    digital data by commercial users. Grants rulemaking authority to
establish    these fees. 

   (b) Defines "commercial user".

   (c) States that fees shall be paid to the RRC and deposited in the RRC
account with the comptroller.    From these fees, the commission is
authorized to pay the cost of all administration, operation, development,
maintenance and enhancement of digital data bases. 

   (d) Grants the RRC rulemaking authority to adopt and enforce any
appropriate rules or orders that it finds necessary to administer this
article.  
                                    
                                    (e) This article expires September 1,
2003. 
 
 SECTION 3.   Effective date of September 1, 1997.

 SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.

 
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  No change.

SECTION 2.  Subsection (a) Adds statement that oil and gas data will be
available to non commercial users at rates established by the General
Services Commission.  Deletes  mention of subsection (c). 

 Subsection (c) excludes the cost of collecting information from uses of
the fee. 

 Subsection (e) is added to give an expiration date for the article.

SECTION 3.  No change.

SECTION 4.  No change.