1-1     By:  Merritt (Senate Sponsor - Brown)                 H.B. No. 2436
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
 1-3     May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
 1-4     Resources; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to a requirement that the Bureau of Economic Geology of
 1-9     The University of Texas at Austin conduct a study of the East Texas
1-10     Oil Field.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Chapter 85, Natural Resources Code, is amended by
1-13     adding Subchapter L to read as follows:
1-14                SUBCHAPTER L.  STUDY OF EAST TEXAS OIL FIELD
1-15           Sec. 85.401.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
1-16                 (1)  "Advisory committee" means the East Texas Oil
1-17     Field Advisory Committee.
1-18                 (2)  "Bureau" means the Bureau of Economic Geology of
1-19     The University of Texas at Austin.
1-20           Sec. 85.402.  STUDY OF FIELD.  The bureau shall conduct a
1-21     study of the East Texas Oil Field for the purpose of making
1-22     recommendations regarding measures that should be taken to maximize
1-23     the ultimate recovery of oil and gas from the field.
1-24           Sec. 85.403.  ADVISORY COMMITTEE.  (a)  The advisory
1-25     committee is composed of:
1-26                 (1)  a member of the commission, appointed by the
1-27     commission;
1-28                 (2)  a member of the board of a school district,
1-29     appointed by the commission;
1-30                 (3)  a representative of the oil industry, appointed by
1-31     the commission;
1-32                 (4)  a member of the senate, appointed by the
1-33     lieutenant governor; and
1-34                 (5)  a member of the house of representatives,
1-35     appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
1-36           (b)  A member of the advisory committee serves at the will of
1-37     the person who appointed the member.
1-38           (c)  The member of the advisory committee who is the member
1-39     of the commission serves as the presiding officer of the advisory
1-40     committee.
1-41           (d)  Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to
1-42     compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and
1-43     necessary expenses incurred in performing their official duties as
1-44     advisory committee members.
1-45           (e)  Necessary costs for the operation of the advisory
1-46     committee shall be paid from money appropriated to the commission. 
1-47           (f)  The advisory committee shall meet at the call of the
1-48     presiding officer.
1-49           (g)  The advisory committee shall keep a public record of its
1-50     decisions at the office of the commission.
1-51           (h)  The advisory committee shall advise the bureau with
1-52     regard to the study required by Section 85.402.
1-53           Sec. 85.404.  REPORT.  The bureau shall make an interim
1-54     report on or before January 1, 2003, and a final report on or
1-55     before September 1, 2003, to the governor, lieutenant governor, and
1-56     speaker of the house of representatives containing recommendations
1-57     regarding measures that should be taken to maximize the ultimate
1-58     recovery of oil and gas from the East Texas Oil Field.
1-59           Sec. 85.405.  EXPIRATION.  This subchapter expires and the
1-60     advisory committee is abolished September 1, 2003.
1-61           SECTION 2.  As soon as practicable on or after the effective
1-62     date of this Act:
1-63                 (1)  the Railroad Commission of Texas shall appoint:
1-64                       (A)  the member of the East Texas Oil Field
 2-1     Advisory Committee who is a member of the commission;
 2-2                       (B)  the member of the advisory committee who is
 2-3     a member of the board of a school district; and
 2-4                       (C)  the member of the advisory committee who is
 2-5     a representative of the oil industry;
 2-6                 (2)  the lieutenant governor shall appoint the member
 2-7     of the advisory committee who is a member of the senate; and
 2-8                 (3)  the speaker of the house of representatives shall
 2-9     appoint the member of the advisory committee who is a member of the
2-10     house of representatives.
2-11           SECTION 3.  As regards the study of the East Texas Oil Field
2-12     to be conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology of The University
2-13     of Texas at Austin, in the event that the funding provided in
2-14     Article 11 of HB 1 by Junell (77R) fails adoption then the
2-15     provisions of Chapter 85, Natural Resources Code, Subchapter L,
2-16     shall become null and void.
2-17           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-18                                  * * * * *