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Panel advances bill loosening degree requirement for Gas and Oil Conservation Commission
Summary
The committee voted to send Senate Bill 1146 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. Sponsor Senator Mark Harris said the bill replaces a hard degree requirement with an experience-and-knowledge standard to broaden the pool of candidates for the Gas and Oil Conservation Commission.
Senator Mark Harris, sponsor of Senate Bill 1146, told the committee the measure would change a statutory membership requirement for the Gas and Oil Conservation Commission to allow a member who is "knowledgeable in gas and oil matters" with eight years of industry experience instead of requiring a degree in geosciences or engineering and five years' experience.
The change, Harris said, is intended to "let more people qualify to be on this commission" because the commission is new and current degree-and-experience thresholds make it difficult to find candidates. Harris presented the bill and stood for questions; none were asked during the committee hearing.
Mister Chairman, Senator Kohl moved to send Senate Bill 1146 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. Senator Guthrie seconded. The committee voted in favor and the motion carried.
The bill replaces a specific educational credential requirement with a combination of demonstrated knowledge in oil-and-gas matters and an eight-year industry-experience threshold, according to Harris's presentation. No statutory citation was read into the record during the presentation, and the committee did not record additional amendments in the hearing.
The committee recorded no public testimony opposing or proposing amendments to the language during the hearing. The bill will be considered on the Senate floor under the committee's due-pass recommendation.
