SRC-ARR S.B. 115 76(R)  BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 115
By: Brown
Natural Resources
6/24/1999
Enrolled


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law requires the Railroad Commission of Texas to collect a
variety of fees from the oil and gas industry, including the drilling
permit application fee, the expedited drilling permit application fee and
the well plugging extension fee, most of which are deposited into the Oil
Field Cleanup Fund (fund) and used for plugging abandoned wells and for
site remediation. In addition, the Comptroller also assesses the oil-field
cleanup regulatory fee on oil and the oil-field cleanup fee on gas, which
are also deposited into the fund. These fees were authorized by S.B. 1103,
Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991.  S.B. 115 will repeal
the expiration of the fees imposed by the Railroad Commission of Texas. 

PURPOSE

As enrolled, S.B. 115 repeals the expiration of certain fees imposed by the
Railroad Commission of Texas. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Repealer: Section 34, Chapter 603, Acts of the 72nd Legislature,
1991 (regarding appeal of fees imposed under Sections 85.2021, 81.116, and
81.117, Natural Resource Code). 

SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
                      Effective date: upon passage.