To Amend The Law Concerning The Oil And Gas Commission; And To Require The Oil And Gas Commission To Notify Members Of The General Assembly Concerning Certain Permits.
Summary
HB1385 amends Arkansas law governing the Oil and Gas Commission to require written notice to the state legislators who represent the district where certain Class II underground injection control disposal wells are located. The notice must be sent when a public hearing is required by law for a permit to drill, deepen, re-enter, recomplete, or operate one of these wells. The bill also specifies that the notice must include instructions for accessing the permit application and the date, time, and location of the hearing, and it allows the notice to be delivered by email.
In practical terms, the bill adds a legislative notification step to the permitting process for Class II disposal wells, which are associated with oil and gas operations and underground injection of fluids. It does not change the substantive permitting standards for the wells themselves, but it does create a new administrative duty for the Oil and Gas Commission and a new information flow to affected lawmakers. The measure is narrow in scope and applies only to permits tied to public hearings for these specific wells.
Impact
HB1385 creates a new statutory section in Arkansas Code Title 15, Chapter 71 requiring the Oil and Gas Commission to notify relevant members of the General Assembly about certain Class II underground injection control disposal well permit hearings. The affected parties are the Commission, legislators representing the district where the well is located, and indirectly permit applicants and local communities interested in the hearing process. The bill primarily affects agency procedure and public notice practices rather than changing environmental or oil-and-gas permitting criteria.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support and little visible opposition. It passed the House on third reading by a vote of 90-1 and passed the Senate on third reading unanimously, 34-0. The voting history suggests the measure was viewed as a procedural transparency or communication improvement rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No committee testimony or transcript discussion was provided, and the vote totals indicate minimal contention. Any potential concern would likely center on whether the added notice requirement is necessary or burdensome for the Oil and Gas Commission, but the near-unanimous legislative support suggests that lawmakers generally agreed with giving affected representatives advance notice of hearings on disposal well permits. The bill does not appear to have generated debate over the underlying oil and gas permitting authority itself.