OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Qua-o.-
--
Hon. Jerry Sadler, Kexbar
Ratlrond Comnissioa of Texas
Auatln, Texae
cpicioa x0. o-19
Re: Porel! OS Fla
rescind, UJS
ration ords
1940, you 8et out
allroud 0ommlaaion
39, dnd the pro-
ca~lusIoil of Texas
the opinfbn of
thfs department up
lindicge ma& by
te or mxas, u wm3.m
na the Order of January
le produotlon of oil
!iMca8., and edopt a new
pPoduotlon ot elk In
B 03 the b&3ila Of t&6
tithout atiling a Imar-
Again, aan the Pel,&mad Corsrlltaslon
View at the provlelons ot the Ozdaf*
hexeimibovs refermU to, actlry within the Sate
of Texas, a QuQrtm thehoi being’ went, enter a
vtiid promtion order eubrrtantialT my Q$.CCeredt to
its Order of Januarp 84, 194,C, tieeinabovq r&f errsld
to, fixing the Ltwunt of 09.1 that imy &6 produced
fmn the tarbus f$e,lds in TBxas 1”~ thy abseaoe 02
a i3eetlng ou3&4 bp the RaiUoa4 Oomi~sion for
euab, purpoas ana t%m irsuunee ot notice tbtwmf
to aZ1 interertcrd parties?
‘746
EOR. Jerry Sadler, iLaCe 2
Third: Shoould tile Zailrocd Coxmlseion of Texas
by projjSTrder, duly re5cizd its Order of Jauuary
24 'S lW&, fixl;ig t.he allowable cil production for
the various ZleldJ in Term, con It by 3rGer reiastate
fts Order of 3ece:~fiber2?, 1P39, flxir:~ the amount
Of Oil tktit CkiLljJ% FU3d;ICOd f;-072tk% VaviOU3 ii81ds
within the State rf Texzs -xitho~t cni1i.q whearing
for suck purpose aDd lame a not&e oi 3u.ch hearing
to ~11 interested parties'"
The statute relating to tha yromlCat3.05 cf rules,
r.e@ations and orders by the Railroad Coxz~lssio~ with respect
to t:;e conservation of oil and gas end the prevention of waste
is Artlolo 6036e, Vernon's flevised Civil Statutes, which
reeds as follows:
*No rule, regulation or order shall be adopted
by the Corszlssion under the r;rovial.ims of this hat
or of Title 102 Of the ReVi58d CiVil 3tatUtes OZ.
Texas, 1925; as ammdad, dealla~ with the oonssr-
vation ci 011 aad~gas and the prevention of the
waste ~ther,eof, exoept aiter heari% upon at leaet
te: (10) day5 zotloe Civet in the manner ahd form
&reaeribed by the Cozdasicn; Frov?bed tkat in case
an quergency is ioussl by the Com~issioc t.o exiet
which, in its .juQm%nt requires th8~aetkicC of a
rule, regulation or order without notice and hen-
ink;, snoh emirgeaay mile, regulation or order crap
be prosulgetcd and &all have the sezm validity
as if a hear@ lath respect tr: the salne had bean
!zeld efter due sbtlae. The ener.p3ncy rule, rewla-
tton or orGer authorized herein shall rema$a la
force no longer than firteen (151 days fro15 its
effective date, and, In any event, it shall expire
when the rule, regulation. or order sade after due
notice and hearlzg with rsspeot to the subjeot mcrtter
of~suoh euergeuay rule, regulation or order be&xnes
effeat~ve.
lithe Cozrafseion may, without prior notfee, re-
rake any ruls, regulation or or0er Iprozul.gat& bp
it; arid it may, w/t&out prior notice, amend the
same, provided the subjeot raattsr of the %aend?aeiit
was ooonsldered at the hearia% xde th,e basis $oz
such rule, regulation or order. The renewal or
extension of szp rule, regulation or order shall
be base6 upon e hwming aftar proper notlbe, eub-
&at to the provisions of this Seotlon with refer-
enae to energeisncy rules, regulationa and ord%rsrw
It ~311 be saen thrt. t?ia etstuta leys down thr
general mle that no rule, re&:latlon or ortier deellw with
conservetlon of 011 or ras can be entered by the Railroad
~oml~~lon~ or remwed or extended by It, except otter hear-
ing upon tsn deys notlca to InteresteC parties.
It will further be observed, however, that tr?Ls
general rule 1s subject to the following etatutory excep-
t1ona:
1. The Co~mIesIon, without notloe and hearing, may
revoke or resclnc? any rule, regulation or order promulgated
by It. The revocation or resoleslon of such order would
leers no order, rule or regulation In effect with respeet
to the subject matter,
2. Tf the CarmIssIon finds an emergenay to exist re-
quiring it, it may enter en e,mrgenoy rule, regulation or or&
der without a hearing; but such emergency order w&l1 ,be ef-
feetire for only 15 days and will IB any event beuoms Inef-
feotlre when a rule, regulation or order Is entered by the
Commission with respect to the same subject matter followlng
notlte and hearing.
3. An order previously ente~red by the Commlesion fol-
1owIbg notloe and heering may be ahanged or modified by amend-
ment, If the subjeot matter of the amend-eat waa aoneldered at
the hearing which was the basis for the orIgInal order promul-
geted by the Coztilasl~n, without e~dd1tIoae.l notice end hearing
es e condition precedent to the right to make euoh amendment.
'4. The statutory eracaptions mentioned above nmaeure
and limit the rlgbt of the Co"3~isslon to revoke or resOiBd Its
order, promulgate a new order, or amend lta existing order,
without notlce and heerlne;.
1.f the order to be entered In lieu of the January Z4,
1940, order does not fall wlthln the eetegory of an emergency
order, or If it la to be made as an a.mendsent of the January
24, 1940, order, and the subject matter thereof was not eonsld-
ered at the heerlng which was the basis for tbe January 24, 1940,
order, suah order cannot be entered without notice and hearing.
Whether under the facts the propaatee order falle within either
of these ciategorlee, so that It may be promulgated with&t
notice and hearing, le a naRtter whloh addreaaes Itself to
the consideration of the CO~ISSIO~ as suoh, aad vthioh oan-
not be deteralned by this department upon the basid of the
5’48
Hon. Jerry Aadler, Page 4
iniormatlon submlttod in your request.
Xe trust that the forego& aatlsraotorily a?spers
your Inquiry.
Yours very truly
ATTORk?Ey C!:iB;llALOF TX:ZAJ
By ,&f?Lg?M
R. '8. ~alrohllb
Assistant
Ri'lF:pbp
APPROVEDF- 10, 1940
5.ibu4u.A
ATTORNEY GENERAL 03' TEXAS