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House approves bill to return county-held mineral rights to surface owners
Summary
House File 2531 would require counties and cities to divest mineral rights on private property and return them at no cost to surface owners; sponsor cited tax-sale problems and historical legacy of coal-era deeds. The House passed the bill after adopting technical amendments (90-2, 8 absent).
The sponsor described House File 2531 as a mineral-rights reform to stop local governments from selling mineral rights that are severed from the surface owner and to provide a mechanism for returning abandoned or tax-delinquent mineral rights to the surface owner at no cost. The representative explained the problem arose from coal-era transfers and a recent incident where mineral rights sold at tax sale caused community concern.
Two technical amendments (H8033 and H8048) were called and adopted to align language with intent; the sponsor said the bill protects private property rights and provides counties a pathway to return rights without cost. The clerk recorded 90 yeas, 2 nays and 8 absent; the bill was declared to have passed the House.
