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            |  | AN ACT | 
         
            |  | relating to the enforcement of certain federal laws regulating oil | 
         
            |  | and gas operations within the State of Texas. | 
         
            |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
            |  | SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 3, Natural Resources Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended by adding Chapter 82 to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | CHAPTER 82.  ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL LAWS | 
         
            |  | Sec. 82.0101.  DEFINITION.  In this chapter, "oil and gas | 
         
            |  | operation" has the meaning assigned by Section 81.0523. | 
         
            |  | Sec. 82.0102.  ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN FEDERAL LAWS | 
         
            |  | REGULATING OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS.  (a)  An agency of this state or a | 
         
            |  | person employed by an agency of this state may not contract with or | 
         
            |  | in any other manner provide assistance to a federal agency or | 
         
            |  | official with respect to the enforcement of a federal statute, | 
         
            |  | order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate oil and gas | 
         
            |  | operations if the statute, order, rule, or regulation imposes a | 
         
            |  | prohibition, restriction, or other regulation that does not exist | 
         
            |  | under the laws of this state. | 
         
            |  | (b)  The attorney general shall defend any agency of this | 
         
            |  | state that the federal government attempts to sue for an action or | 
         
            |  | omission consistent with the requirements of this section. | 
         
            |  | (c)  This section does not prohibit a state agency from: | 
         
            |  | (1)  implementing a federal law by executing authority | 
         
            |  | delegated to the state agency by a federal agency; or | 
         
            |  | (2)  entering into a memorandum of understanding with a | 
         
            |  | federal agency to implement a federal law, if otherwise authorized | 
         
            |  | by state law. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | 
         
            |  | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | 
         
            |  | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this | 
         
            |  | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | 
         
            |  | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | 
         
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            |  | ______________________________ | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | 
         
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            |  | I certify that H.B. No. 33 was passed by the House on May 5, | 
         
            |  | 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 99, Nays 44, 1 present, not | 
         
            |  | voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | 
         
            |  | No. 33 on May 25, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 107, Nays 34, 3 | 
         
            |  | present, not voting. | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | Chief Clerk of the House | 
         
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            |  | I certify that H.B. No. 33 was passed by the Senate, with | 
         
            |  | amendments, on May 22, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays | 
         
            |  | 12. | 
         
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            |  | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | Secretary of the Senate | 
         
            |  | APPROVED: __________________ | 
         
            |  | Date | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | __________________ | 
         
            |  | Governor |