Bill Information[]
Title: AN ACT relating to oil and gas well sites.
Sponsor: Sen. Jared Carpenter
Date Introduced: 16 February 2016
Final Resolution: (April 6th, 2016) Became law without the Governor's Signature.
What Does It Do?[]
Overall, this bill requires a permit before drilling a test well for oil/gas exploration, subject drilling to various regulations under a state agency, imposes requirements for closing a test well, and removes the requirement to keep drilling information confidential. However, it also mandates that records of the company during the first three years of operations on a test well be kept confidential.
What Are the Politics?[]
This bill is a strongly Republican leaning bill.
Pros[]
- Makes it easier for drilling and exploration for natural resources
- Provides new means of regulation for drilling through another state agency
- Opens up the market for new drilling operations in the state
- Confidentiality of records are no longer indefinite
- Imposes new permitting process for exploration
Cons[]
- Shields companies from having transparency in informing the public of its activities
- Imposes new regulations on the exploration of natural resources
- Allows for more regulation by state agencies, which could harm business interest
Major Changes During Process[]
Amendment (SCS1): Technical & grammatical corrections
Media Coverage
None