By: Rodríguez  S.B. No. 568
         (In the Senate - Filed January 20, 2017; February 8, 2017,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources &
  Economic Development; April 27, 2017, reported adversely, with
  favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
  Nays 2, 2 present not voting; April 27, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 568 By:  Rodríguez
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the posting by the Railroad Commission of Texas on its
  Internet website of certain enforcement information.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 81, Natural Resources
  Code, is amended by adding Section 81.071 to read as follows:
         Sec. 81.071.  ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION. (a)  The commission
  shall post on the commission's Internet website:
               (1)  comprehensive information regarding the
  commission's enforcement of this title and rules, orders, licenses,
  permits, and certificates issued under this title, including
  information regarding:
                     (A)  inspection and enforcement activity;
                     (B)  violations; and
                     (C)  the amount of penalties finally assessed;
               (2)  information evidencing quarterly trends regarding
  enforcement activity by the commission, including:
                     (A)  the number of inspections conducted;
                     (B)  the number of violations, categorized
  according to the degree of severity of the violation and the
  statute, rule, order, license, permit, or certificate violated, for
  which enforcement action has been taken;
                     (C)  the number of repeat violations determined to
  have been committed; and
                     (D)  the number of violations referred to the
  attorney general for enforcement; and
               (3)  an analysis of annual trends regarding enforcement
  activity by the commission.
         (b)  Information required to be posted under this section
  must be:
               (1)  in a searchable format;
               (2)  organized by county, by operator or other entity,
  and by well, if applicable; and
               (3)  capable of being downloaded in bulk.
         SECTION 2.  The Railroad Commission of Texas shall comply
  with Section 81.071(b), Natural Resources Code, as added by this
  Act, not later than January 1, 2019.
         SECTION 3.  The Railroad Commission of Texas shall implement
  Section 81.071, Natural Resources Code, as added by this Act, using
  only money that is appropriated to the commission by the General
  Appropriations Act for the state fiscal biennium beginning
  September 1, 2017, for public information and services and that is
  available to be spent for the publication on the commission's
  Internet website of information about the commission's inspection
  and enforcement activities. If the commission determines that it
  is not required to implement that statute because the legislature
  has not appropriated money available for that purpose, the
  commission shall notify the Legislative Budget Board of that
  determination.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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