HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES — NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

COMMITTEE:    Energy Resources 

TIME & DATE:  8:30 AM, Tuesday, September 15, 2026 

PLACE:        E2.026 
CHAIR:        Rep. Drew Darby 

To accommodate all attendees wishing to testify, public testimony may be limited at the discretion of the chair.

The House Committee on Energy Resources will meet in a public hearing to hear invited testimony only on the following interim charge:

Agency Oversight: Pursuant to the broad oversight responsibilities granted to the Committee under Section 301.014, Government Code, and the House Rules of Procedure, monitor the agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable. The jurisdiction of the Energy Resources Committee includes the following agencies:

· The Railroad Commission of Texas;

· The Texas representative for the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission;

· The Office of Interstate Mining Compact Commissioner for Texas;

· The State Energy Conservation Office; and

· The Office of Southern States Energy Board Member for Texas.

The House Committee on Energy Resources will hear public and invited testimony on the following interim charges:

Severed Well Operations: Review the procedures and administrative rules related to severed wells and the process for an operator to resume operations after a well has been severed. Make recommendations to address any relevant safety and regulatory compliance concerns regarding severed well operations.

Preventing Orphaned Wells: Monitor the implementation of SB 1150 and review the administrative processes and safeguards in place to ensure inactive wells are adequately and timely plugged. Identify strategies and policy recommendations to reduce the number of inactive wells that become orphaned.

P-13 Water Wells Overview: Study the impact of environmental hazards caused by P-13 water wells. Determine the appropriate state agency best positioned to have primary regulatory authority over environmental hazards caused by discharges from P-13 water wells associated with oil and gas and mineral production. Review current and projected costs associated with managing these hazards and identify potential funding mechanisms necessary to plug such wells.

Online submission of public comments will be available on the following topics:

The Railroad Commission of Texas

The Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, Texas Representative

The Office of Interstate Mining Compact Commissioner for Texas

The Office of Southern States Energy Board Member for Texas

The State Energy Conservation Office

Severed Well Operations

Preventing Orphaned Wells

P-13 Water Wells

Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to

agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until

the hearing is adjourned by visiting:

https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c250

For those persons who will be testifying, information for in-person witness registration, can be found here: https://mytxlegis.capitol.texas.gov/HWRSPublic/About.aspx

A live video broadcast of this hearing will be available here: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/

Instructions related to public access to the meeting location are available here: https://house.texas.gov/committees/public-access-house-committee-meetings/

NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS

Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, are requested to contact Stacey Nicchio at (512) 463-0850, 72 hours prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.