Governor Abbott Vetoes House Bill 1633 (84R)
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 14, of the Texas Constitution, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby disapprove of and veto House Bill No. 1633 as passed by the Eighty-Fourth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, because of the following objections:
Oil and gas companies are already required to report the location of their wells to the State, via the Texas Railroad Commission. The problem House Bill 1633 seeks to solve is that the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Department of Transportation do not communicate effectively with one another when an oil and gas producer asks the Railroad Commission for a permit to drill near a right of way owned by TxDOT. Instead of requiring these two state agencies to work more effectively together, House Bill 1633 thrusts a new and unnecessary hurdle onto oil and gas producers to solve the State's internal communication challenges. It is within the existing power of the two state agencies to solve this problem, and they should do so.
Since the Eighty-Fourth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, by its adjournment has prevented the return of this bill, I am filing these objections in the office of the Secretary of State and giving notice thereof by this public proclamation according to the aforementioned constitutional provision.
GREG ABBOTT
Governor
View a PDF of the veto here