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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
09/26/2024 11:15 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20150&chamber=H&cosponId=16264
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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 30, 2014 12:10 PM
From: Representative Greg Vitali
To: All House members
Subject: Oil and Gas Lease Fund Legislation
 
In the new term, I will be introducing legislation that would amend Title 58, Oil and Gas, to:
  • Specify that rents and royalties from oil and gas leases on Commonwealth-owned land shall be used exclusively for conservation, recreation, dams, or flood control projects.

  • Restore to DCNR its exclusive authority to make disbursements from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund.

  • Eliminate the authorization in the 2014 Fiscal Code to transfer $95 million from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund to the General Fund.
The Oil and Gas Lease Fund Act of 1955 (Act 256) was created to fund conservation, recreation, dam, and flood control projects using rents and royalties received from oil and gas leases on Commonwealth owned land.

Over the past few years, this funding has been used for purposes outside of the scope of the Oil and Gas Lease Fund Act, including transfers to the General Fund and employees’ salaries and general government operations of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

There is currently an approximately $1 billion backlog of infrastructure projects in state parks and forests. Oil and Gas Lease Fund money should be used to address this backlog and fund these projects.