Sec. 81.067. OIL AND GAS REGULATION AND CLEANUP FUND

(a) The oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund is created as an account in the general revenue fund of the state treasury.

(b) The commission shall certify to the comptroller the date on which the balance in the fund equals or exceeds $20 million. The oil-field cleanup regulatory fees on oil and gas shall not be collected or required to be paid on or after the first day of the second month following the certification, except that the comptroller shall resume collecting the fees on receipt of a commission certification that the fund has fallen below $10 million. The comptroller shall continue collecting the fees until collections are again suspended in the manner provided by this subsection.

(c) The fund consists of:

(1) proceeds from bonds and other financial security required by this chapter and benefits under well-specific plugging insurance policies described by Section 91.104(c) that are paid to the state as contingent beneficiary of the policies, subject to the refund provisions of Section 91.1091, if applicable;

(2) private contributions, including contributions made under Section 89.084;

(3) expenses collected under Section 89.083;

(4) fees imposed under Section 85.2021;

(5) costs recovered under Section 91.457 or 91.459;

(6) proceeds collected under Sections 89.085 and 91.115;

(7) interest earned on the funds deposited in the fund;

(8) oil and gas waste hauler permit application fees collected under Section 29.015, Water Code;

(9) costs recovered under Section 91.113(f);

(10) hazardous oil and gas waste generation fees collected under Section 91.605;

(11) oil-field cleanup regulatory fees on oil collected under Section 81.116;

(12) oil-field cleanup regulatory fees on gas collected under Section 81.117;

(13) fees for a reissued certificate collected under Section 91.707;

(14) fees collected under Section 91.1013;

(15) fees collected under Section 89.088;

(16) fees collected under Section 91.142;

(17) fees collected under Section 91.654;

(18) costs recovered under Sections 91.656 and 91.657;

(19) two-thirds of the fees collected under Section 81.0521;

(20) fees collected under Sections 89.024 and 89.026;

(21) legislative appropriations; and

(22) any surcharges collected under Section 81.070.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 , Sec. 19.02, eff. September 28, 2011.