Senate Bill No. 39
(By Senator Wells)
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[Introduced January 13, 2010; referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §5A-11-9, relating to
requiring the Public Land Corporation to seek free gas rights
from natural gas lessors on public lands; and providing an
annual report to the Legislature.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §5A-11-9, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 11. PUBLIC LAND CORPORATION.
§5A-11-9. Public Land Corporation to provide free gas rights in
public land leases.
(a) Prior to any final decision of any state agency to sell,
lease as a lessor, exchange or transfer land or minerals title to
which is vested in the Public Land Corporation pursuant to this article, the Public Land Corporation shall retain free gas rights
in the event a natural gas well is drilled on the property.
(b) The Public Land Corporation shall undertake a study to
determine what public lands have state agency facilities on them
that would benefit from existing, or potential, gas wells on the
property and take the appropriate action necessary to secure from
the lessor the right to free gas that may be used by the state
agency.
(c) Beginning on December 1, 2010, and each December 1
thereafter, the Public Land Corporation shall report to the
Legislature the status of its land and mineral responsibilities as
set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Public Land
Corporation to seek free gas rights from natural gas lessors on
public lands. The bill also requires The Public Land Corporation
to provide an annual report to the Legislature.
§5A-11-9 is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring
have been omitted.
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