technical correction; oil; gas; enforcement

SB1817 - technical correction; oil; gas; enforcement

Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: David C. Farnsworth
Last action: 2026-06-12
Official status: Senate Rules: None
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

SB1817: Technical Correction to Oil and Gas Enforcement Rules

This bill fixes wording errors in Arizona law about how officials stop oil and gas rule violations and who pays for closing unused wells.

What This Bill Does

Corrects wording mistakes in the section of state law that deals with enforcing oil and gas rules.
Allows the commissioner to ask a court to stop someone from breaking or threatening to break these laws if they do not stop after being told by the commissioner.
Lets private people sue to stop violations if the commissioner does not act within ten days after receiving written notice of them.
States that well owners must pay all costs to plug dry or abandoned wells.
Allows officials to use bond money or sue for extra costs if a well owner fails to properly close a well.

Who It Names or Affects

The Arizona commissioner responsible for oil and gas rules
Owners and operators of oil and gas wells in the state
Courts that handle cases about stopping rule violations

Terms To Know

Commissioner: The government official who manages and enforces rules for oil and gas production.
Injunction: A court order that requires a person to stop doing something or forces them to do something specific.
Bond: Money set aside by well owners to pay for closing wells if they fail to do it themselves.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill text does not state a specific date when these changes will take effect.
This document only shows the corrected legal language and does not explain why the original wording was wrong.

Bill History

2026-06-12 Senate
Senate Rules: None
2026-06-12 Senate
Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1817 - technical correction; oil; gas; enforcement

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1817 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
technical correction; oil; gas; enforcement

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1817

Introduced by

Senator
Farnsworth

AN
ACT

amending section 27-524, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to production and conservation of oil and gas.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 27-524, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
27-524.

Enforcement

A. When it appears that a person is violating or
threatening to violate any provision of this article, or a rule
,
regulation
or order made pursuant to this article, and such person fails
or refuses, on notice by the commissioner, to desist from such violation or
threat of violation, the commissioner may bring an action in the superior court
in the county
where the offending person resides, or in the
county in which
the
violation is alleged to have occurred
or is threatened, to restrain the person from continuing the violation or from
carrying out a threat of violation.

B. The commissioner may without bond obtain a
prohibitory or mandatory injunction, including a temporary restraining order
and preliminary injunction, and, where appropriate, an injunction restraining
the
defendant from moving or disposing of illegal oil or gas
or
an
illegal product.
Upon
on
filing the action,
a
summons directed
to such person may be delivered to the sheriff of any county in this state for
service.

C. If the commissioner fails to bring
an
action within ten days to enjoin a threatened or actual
violation of any statute relating to conservation of oil and gas, or of any
provision of this article, or a rule
, regulation
or order
made pursuant to this article, any person or party in interest adversely
affected by the threatened or actual violation who has notified the
commissioner in writing thereof and requested the commissioner to file the
action may bring the action in the superior court
of
in
any county in which the commissioner might have brought the
action to prevent the threatened or actual violation. The
commissioner shall be made a party to the action.

D. If the court orders that injunctive relief be
granted, then the commissioner shall be substituted for the person who brought
the action, and the injunction shall issue as if the commissioner had at all
times been
the
plaintiff.

E. The owner or operator is responsible for the full
cost of plugging each dry or abandoned well. If the owner or
operator fails to properly plug and abandon the well, the commission may:

1. Forfeit the bond and use the money for that
purpose.

2. Sue the owner or operator for costs in excess of
the amount of the bond and the owner or operator is liable for that amount.
END_STATUTE