A bill that would require oil and gas companies to pay landowners for damage to their property caused by drilling became this weekend the first House bill of the session to head to the governor for a signature.
House Bill 827, sponsored by Rep. Andy Nuñez, D-Hatch, was approved Saturday by the Senate on a vote of 25-0.
The bill was approved Wednesday by the House on a vote of 62-5, and moved through two Senate committees and the full Senate in three days.
The proposal has been contentious for years, but compromises this year have earned it the endorsements of the oil and gas industry and ranchers.
Under the compromise, the bill would protect landowners who don’t own the mineral rights below their land, which is common in
The landowner then has 20 days to accept, negotiate or reject the offer. If no agreement is reached between the landowner and company, a bond must be posted before operations begin.