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Committee adopts substitute for Senate Bill 22 setting six‑month royalty payment deadline for conventional wells
Summary
A committee approved a substitute for Senate Bill 22 requiring royalties on conventional wells to be paid within six months of when payment is due, designating county courts for jurisdiction and allowing judges to award attorney fees for disputes filed on or after July 1.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The committee approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 22 that would require royalties from conventional oil and gas wells to be paid within six months of the date the payment becomes due and designate the county where the well is located as proper jurisdiction for disputes.
The substitute, explained by the committee counsel, also adds a penalty for failure to pay within the prescribed timeframe and allows the presiding judge to award attorney’s fees and costs to the prevailing party in disputes filed on or after July 1 of this year. After a voice vote, the committee agreed to the substitute and voted to report the bill favorably to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass.
The action was procedural: the committee first adopted the substitute and then voted to report the committee substitute out to the full Senate. No roll-call vote with named tallies was recorded in the transcript; the motion carried by voice vote and the chair declared the motion adopted.
Senate action now moves to the full Senate calendar for further consideration and any additional floor debate or amendments.
No public testimony or extended debate on policy tradeoffs was recorded in the transcript segment covering Senate Bill 22.
