Should the name of the Texas Railroad Commission be changed? Back to Blog
Should the name of the Texas Railroad Commission be changed? Some lawmakers, including those that serve on the State’s Sunset Advisory Commission, think so. The likely new name, if approved by the Legislature, would be the Texas Energy Commission. Industry legal scholars initially questioned whether the name change might open the door to new federal energy oversight. Those concerns seem mostly to have been accounted for in the Sunset Commission’s draft recommendations.
Currently, the Texas Railroad Commission (which ceased to regulate railroads years ago) employs about 700 people who work in 11 field offices from which they inspect and monitor pipelines and oil and natural gas production facilities, issue permits and ensure compliance with environmental and safety regulations. The Commission, headed by three elected commissioners who serve staggered, six-year terms, in 2012 operated on about $75 million, more than 60 percent of which comes from fees and surcharges collected from the oil and gas industry. The rest comes in appropriations from the Texas Legislature and a mix of federal and state dedicated funds. Changing the name to something more in line with its mission would bring clarity at a time when it is most needed in its 121-year history, the Sunset Advisory Commission suggested.
The Sunset Advisory Commission is a panel of five state representatives, five state senators and two private citizens — one appointed by the Speaker of the House and one by the lieutenant governor. All Sunset recommendations are in the hands of the Senate and House, where members are working with Sunset Commission staff and legislative counsel to draft legislation that will be forwarded to applicable committees in both houses, which will hold public hearings, Sunset Commission Executive Director Ken Levine said Tuesday.