By: Craddick (Senate Sponsor - Estes) H.B. No. 129
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2017;
  May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
  Resources & Economic Development; May 18, 2017, reported
  adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following
  vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 18, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 129 By:  Estes
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the manner in which a payor of proceeds derived from the
  sale of oil or gas production is required to provide certain
  information to a royalty interest owner.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 91.501 and 91.506, Natural Resources
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 91.501.  INFORMATION REQUIRED. If payment is made to a
  royalty interest owner from the proceeds derived from the sale of
  oil or gas production pursuant to a division order, lease,
  servitude, or other agreement, the payor shall include the
  information required by Section 91.502 on the check stub, an
  attachment to the payment form, or another remittance advice that
  accompanies the payment.
         Sec. 91.506.  EXEMPTION. (a) Except as provided by
  Subsection (b), if [If] the information required by Section 91.502
  is provided in some other manner on a monthly basis, the payor is
  not required to include the information on the check stub, an
  attachment to the payment form, or another [other] remittance
  advice that accompanies the payment.
         (b)  If payment is made to the royalty interest owner by a
  paper check delivered by mail or by means of a private delivery
  service, the payor may not provide the information required by
  Section 91.502 in a manner other than by including the information
  on the check stub, an attachment to the payment form, or another
  remittance advice that accompanies the payment unless the payor
  obtains, or a previous payor has obtained, the consent of the
  royalty interest owner to provide the information in some other
  manner.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a payment made on or after the effective date of this Act to a
  royalty interest owner from the proceeds derived from the sale of
  oil or gas production. A payment made before the effective date of
  this Act to a royalty interest owner from the proceeds derived from
  the sale of oil or gas production is governed by the law in effect on
  the date the payment is made, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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