Bill Text: TX SB257 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the reduction of methane gas flaring on land dedicated to the permanent university fund.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-15 - Referred to Natural Resources & Economic Development [SB257 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB257-Introduced.html
| 88R834 CXP-D | ||
| By: Eckhardt | S.B. No. 257 | |
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| relating to the reduction of methane gas flaring on land dedicated | ||
| to the permanent university fund. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 66, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 66.455 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 66.455. METHANE FLARING REDUCTION PLANS. (a) The | ||
| board of regents of The University of Texas System shall adopt a | ||
| formal policy goal to eliminate routine methane flaring on | ||
| university lands by 2027. | ||
| (b) Under each lease issued, modified, or renewed under this | ||
| subchapter relating to oil or gas, the lessee shall submit to the | ||
| board of regents of The University of Texas System a plan to end | ||
| routine methane flaring in accordance with the policy goal adopted | ||
| under Subsection (a). The plan must: | ||
| (1) include provisions that prohibit routine methane | ||
| flaring; | ||
| (2) for all new and existing sources, require | ||
| operators to adhere to the United States Environmental Protection | ||
| Agency's new source performance standards for methane emissions; | ||
| and | ||
| (3) require the lessee to implement quarterly | ||
| inspections and maintenance for the detection of malfunctioning and | ||
| unlit flares using leak detection equipment, such as optical gas | ||
| imaging cameras, and for the repair of those flares. | ||
| (c) The board of regents of The University of Texas System | ||
| shall review and approve or reject each plan submitted under | ||
| Subsection (b) according to procedures adopted by the board. The | ||
| University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology shall assist the | ||
| board and lessees in matters relating to the plans. | ||
| (d) In adopting procedures to implement this section, the | ||
| board of regents of The University of Texas System may apply to new | ||
| facilities and existing facilities that have been modified after | ||
| initial construction more stringent standards than the standards | ||
| the board applies to other facilities. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than June 1, 2024, the board of regents | ||
| of The University of Texas System shall adopt procedures | ||
| implementing Section 66.455, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
