SRC-ARR S.B. 1297 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 1297
By: Brown
Natural Resources
6/29/1999
Enrolled


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law does not require registration of all of the operators
that fall under the pipeline safety program. Transmission and gathering
operators must have a pipeline permit to operate pipelines in the state and
those operators must have a P-5 permit on file with the Railroad
Commission's Oil and Gas Division. S.B. 1297 will grant the Railroad
Commission authority to require all pipeline operators under the pipeline
safety oversight to be registered with the commission and be assigned an
operator number. 

PURPOSE

As enrolled, S.B. 1297 requires the registration of pipeline operators with
the Railroad Commission of Texas. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Railroad Commission in Section
1(Section 121.201(a), Utilities Code) of  this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 121.201(a), Utilities Code, to authorize the
Railroad Commission, by rule, to require an operator that does not file
operator organization information under Section 91.142, Natural Resources
Code, to provide the information to the commission in the form of an
application. Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2. (a) Provides that in accordance with Section 311.031(c),
Government Code, which gives effect to a substantive amendment enacted by
the same legislature that codifies the amended statute, the text of Section
121.201(a), Utilities Code, as set out in SECTION 1 of this Act, gives
effect to changes made by Chapter 950, Acts of the 75th legislature,
Regular Session, 1997. 

(b) Provides that this Act prevails over another Act of the 76th
Legislature relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in
enacted codes. 

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
                      Effective date: upon passage.