By:  Fraser                                           S.B. No. 1891

         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the payment of a fee by commercial users to the

 1-2     Railroad Commission of Texas for the purchase of oil and gas data

 1-3     maintained in digital formats.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Article 6447a-1, Revised Statutes, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           Art. 6447a-1.  Definition

 1-8           In Articles 6447b-6447k [6447b-6447h], Revised Statutes,

 1-9     "commission" means the Railroad Commission of Texas.

1-10           SECTION 2.  Title 112, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding

1-11     Article 6447k to read as follows:

1-12           (a)  The commission may charge fees, which it determines

1-13     reasonably necessary to digitize data, develop systems and sustain

1-14     access to commission digital data as set forth in Subsection (c),

1-15     for purchases of oil and gas digital data by commercial users.  The

1-16     commission shall adopt rules establishing the rates and procedures

1-17     for administering such fees.

1-18           (b)  For purposes of this article, "commercial user" means a

1-19     purchaser of computer tapes, computer printouts, information

1-20     accessed or copied electronically, and other forms of

1-21     computer-generated output, for the purpose of economic activity or

 2-1     financial gain.

 2-2           (c)  A fee paid under this article shall be paid to the

 2-3     commission, which shall deposit all fees to its account with the

 2-4     comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas.  From such

 2-5     fees, the commission is authorized to pay the cost of digitizing

 2-6     information to create digital data, and the cost of developing,

 2-7     administering, enhancing, disseminating, and sustaining access to

 2-8     digital data, excluding the cost of collecting information that may

 2-9     be converted to digital formats by the commission.

2-10           (d)  The commission may adopt and enforce any appropriate

2-11     rules or orders that it finds necessary to administer this article.

2-12           SECTION 3.  This act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-13           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.