Texas Oil and Gas Regulator Can Operate for 12 More Years
5/24/2017
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 1818, which reauthorizes the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state’s oil and gas regulator, to operate for another 12 years.
A committee of lawmakers, known as the Sunset Commission, is in charge of reviewing the agency. In 2016, the Railroad Commission had its third Sunset review since 2010, after many attempts to alter the agency failed to get through the Texas Legislature.
House Bill 1818 excludes nearly all of the Commission’s recommendations for the commission, including:
- Changing the commission’s name
- Transferring regulation of gas utilities to the Public Utility Commission
- Improving monitoring of company violations
- Raising the bonding requirements for oil and gas companies
The Railroad Commission of Texas was established in 1891 and is the oldest regulatory agency in the state.
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