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Appropriations committee amends, advances bill to boost petroleum quality testing and transparency
Summary
The committee amended Senate Bill 2,179 to divert a small per‑gallon fee into a Department of Environmental Quality program for more petroleum product testing, added a sunset, and recommended the bill for passage as amended after debate over enforcement and public disclosure.
The Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved an amended version of Senate Bill 2,179 that would redirect an existing per‑gallon fee into the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to expand petroleum quality testing, increase sample throughput and make test results more public.
The bill was amended to include a sunset date of June 30, 2027, and the committee later recommended a due‑pass as amended. The committee’s due‑pass motion passed 11–4–1.
Why it matters: Lawmakers said current testing is limited and slow; committee members pressed DEQ for clearer enforcement tools so testing protects consumers and creates a level playing field for reputable fuel sellers.
DEQ director Dave Glott told the committee the agency has done petroleum quality testing for many years under Century Code 23.1‑13 and that most recent failures involved ethanol blends. He said the program’s constraints—few staff and slow lab turnaround—mean bad product is often sold and gone before the agency can act. “Our intent would be that if I get a violation today, I go back out there next week and sample again,” Glott said, describing the department’s enforcement goal if funding increases.
Members repeatedly asked whether penalties on the books are being used. Senator Mather said the current situation lets dishonest sellers undercut honest dealers and urged using penalties to deter violations. Glott replied the law includes a penalty, and later said the department believes violations also could be pursued as a class B misdemeanor, but that prosecutorial resources and practicality make civil penalties more efficient.
Several senators urged DEQ to publish test results on a public webpage so consumers and marketers know which stations were tested and which failed. Glott said the department is planning faster turnaround, more sampling (he described a target of roughly quadrupling current sample counts toward about 1,000 annually), and posting results online so producers and the public can see outcomes more quickly.
Committee members also discussed whether the redirected fee should be a continuing appropriation to DEQ or require legislative appropriation each biennium. Committee staff reported there is no continuing appropriation for the operating fund; if money is diverted from the general fund into that operating fund, a legislative appropriation would be required to spend it.
After discussion the committee adopted an amendment to add a sunset provision and voted to advance the bill as amended.
The committee asked DEQ to return in a future hearing with an implementation plan and results after the program is up and running.
Votes at a glance: The committee approved the sunset amendment (members recorded in roll call) and later approved a due‑pass as amended on Senate Bill 2,179, motion passing 11 yes, 4 no, 1 absent.
