| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the name and governance of the Railroad Commission of |
|
|
Texas. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 81, Natural Resources |
|
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 81. TEXAS ENERGY RESOURCES [RAILROAD] COMMISSION [OF TEXAS] |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 81.001, Natural Resources Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 81.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Energy Resources |
|
|
[Railroad] Commission [of Texas]. |
|
|
(2) "Commissioner" means any member of the Texas |
|
|
Energy Resources [Railroad] Commission [of Texas]. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 81, Natural Resources |
|
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.003 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 81.003. TEXAS ENERGY RESOURCES COMMISSION. (a) The |
|
|
Railroad Commission of Texas is renamed the Texas Energy Resources |
|
|
Commission. |
|
|
(b) A reference in law to: |
|
|
(1) the Railroad Commission of Texas means the Texas |
|
|
Energy Resources Commission; and |
|
|
(2) a railroad commissioner or a member of the |
|
|
Railroad Commission of Texas means a member of the Texas Energy |
|
|
Resources Commission. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Sections 81.01001(a) and (b), Natural Resources |
|
|
Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The Texas Energy Resources [Railroad] Commission [of
|
|
|
Texas] is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset |
|
|
Act). Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter, |
|
|
the commission is abolished September 1, 2017. |
|
|
(b) The Texas Energy Resources [Railroad] Commission [of
|
|
|
Texas] shall pay the costs incurred by the Sunset Advisory |
|
|
Commission in performing a review of the commission under this |
|
|
section. The Sunset Advisory Commission shall determine the |
|
|
costs, and the commission shall pay the amount of those costs |
|
|
promptly on receipt of a statement from the Sunset Advisory |
|
|
Commission detailing the costs. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources |
|
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.010015 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 81.010015. ELECTION AND TERMS OF COMMISSIONERS; |
|
|
VACANCIES. (a) The commission is composed of three commissioners |
|
|
elected at the general election for state and county officers. |
|
|
(b) Commissioners serve staggered terms of six years, with |
|
|
the term of one commissioner expiring December 31 of each |
|
|
even-numbered year. |
|
|
(c) The governor shall appoint a person to fill a vacancy on |
|
|
the commission until the next general election. |
|
|
SECTION 6. Section 81.01005, Natural Resources Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 81.01005. NAME AND SEAL. (a) The commissioners are |
|
|
known collectively as the "Texas Energy Resources [Railroad] |
|
|
Commission [of Texas]." |
|
|
(b) The seal of the commission contains a star of five |
|
|
points with the words "Texas Energy Resources [Railroad] Commission |
|
|
[of Texas]" engraved on it. |
|
|
SECTION 7. The heading to Section 81.0521, Natural |
|
|
Resources Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 81.0521. FEE FOR APPLICATION FOR EXCEPTION TO |
|
|
[RAILROAD] COMMISSION RULE. |
|
|
SECTION 8. Section 52.092(c), Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(c) Statewide offices of the state government shall be |
|
|
listed in the following order: |
|
|
(1) governor; |
|
|
(2) lieutenant governor; |
|
|
(3) attorney general; |
|
|
(4) comptroller of public accounts; |
|
|
(5) commissioner of the General Land Office; |
|
|
(6) commissioner of agriculture; |
|
|
(7) energy resources [railroad] commissioner; |
|
|
(8) chief justice, supreme court; |
|
|
(9) justice, supreme court; |
|
|
(10) presiding judge, court of criminal appeals; |
|
|
(11) judge, court of criminal appeals. |
|
|
SECTION 9. On the effective date of this Act, the name of |
|
|
the Railroad Commission of Texas is changed to the Texas Energy |
|
|
Resources Commission. The change of the agency's name does not |
|
|
affect: |
|
|
(1) the agency's powers, duties, rights, or |
|
|
obligations; |
|
|
(2) the agency's personnel, equipment, data, |
|
|
documents, facilities, contracts, items, other property, |
|
|
appropriations, rules, or decisions; |
|
|
(3) a proceeding of or involving the agency under the |
|
|
name of the Railroad Commission of Texas; or |
|
|
(4) the terms of the chairman or other members of the |
|
|
governing body of the agency. |
|
|
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |