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After bills meant to protect natural gas leaseholders failed to gain traction in the state House last year, local legislators are aiming try again this term.
Two bills sponsored by state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, passed the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on Tuesday. They next will go for a vote on the Senate floor, where Yaw expects them to pass, and then go the House.
"These bills will give landowners more weapons to use in their arguments with the gas drilling companies that pay their royalties," Yaw said. "We've tried to provide them with the tools that they can use to determine the accuracy of their royalty reports. These tools come with no additional costs or negative impacts to Pennsylvania taxpayers."
The committee approved Senate Bill 138, which would allow a royalty interest owner the opportunity to inspect records of a gas company to verify proper payment, Yaw said.
The bill also requires that proceeds from production of oil and gas shall be paid within 90 days of production to ensure monthly royalty payments, unless otherwise stated in the lease.
The committee also approved Senate Bill 139, which would keep a natural gas company from retaliating against a royalty interest owner by terminating the lease agreement or ceasing development because a landowner questions the accuracy of the royalty payments.
Both bills passed the Senate last year but failed to see any action in the House.
State Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy, also is working on a bill for natural gas leaseholders that deals with ensuring landowners receive at least 12.5 percent of minimum royalty payments from the gas company.
Everett's bill passed out of committee in the last session but failed to come up for a vote on the House floor.
He previously has said that this was due to leadership in the House that didn't want to see the bill pass.
"It is my hope that we can get both of Sen. Yaw's bills and my minimum royalty bill on the governor's desk early in the session," Everett said.