---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to a study on abandoned oil and gas wells in this state and the use of the oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund."
description: "Relating to a study on abandoned oil and gas wells in this state and the use of the oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "87"
identifier: "HB 3973"
citation: "Texas HB 3973 (87)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS (V2608)", "Energy--Alternative Fuels (I0314)", "Fees & Other Nontax Revenue--State (I0362)", "Interim Studies (I0448)", "LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (S0096)", "Mines & Mineral Resources (I0536)", "Oil & Gas (I0545)", "RAILROAD COMMISSION (V0089)", "SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE (S0306)", "State Finances--Management & Control (I0748)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Nichols", "Walle"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 64
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-03-11"
last_action: "2021-06-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/829995fe-92f6-4dc0-ab5f-a32ebb5b2e1b"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/87R/billhistory/house_bills/HB03900_HB03999/HB 3973.xml"
source_hash: "6ea1b73cf51d55c58cf76b41e1174475b37b2b70f04f0cdd457fcd63bfdcd990"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas HB 3973 (87) — Relating to a study on abandoned oil and gas wells in this state and the use of the oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB03973I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB03973E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB03973H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB03973S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB03973F.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **141–0** (pass) · lower
- other — **141–0** (fail) · upper
- passage — **108–37** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Nichols — primary (person)
- Walle — primary (person)
- Morales Shaw — cosponsor (person)
- Zwiener — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-11** Filed `filing`
- **2021-03-29** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-03-29** Referred to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-15** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-04-15** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- **2021-04-15** Left pending in committee
- **2021-04-19** Considered in formal meeting
- **2021-04-19** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage`
- **2021-04-19** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- **2021-04-19** Committee report distributed
- **2021-04-20** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2021-04-26** Considered in Calendars
- **2021-04-28** Placed on General State Calendar
- **2021-04-28** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-28** Passed to engrossment
- **2021-04-29** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-29** Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-29** Record vote
- **2021-04-29** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-04-29** Reported engrossed
- **2021-05-03** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2021-05-17** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-05-17** Referred to Finance `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-20** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2021-05-20** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-05-20** Left pending in committee
- **2021-05-21** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-05-21** Reported favorably as substituted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-21** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2021-05-22** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2021-05-24** Placed on intent calendar
- **2021-05-24** Rules suspended-Regular order of business
- **2021-05-24** Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading
- **2021-05-24** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-05-24** Three day rule suspended
- **2021-05-24** Record vote
- **2021-05-24** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-05-24** Passed `passage`
- **2021-05-24** Record vote
- **2021-05-26** Senate passage as amended reported
- **2021-05-26** Senate Amendments distributed
- **2021-05-26** Senate Amendments Analysis distributed
- **2021-05-28** House refuses to concur in Senate amendments
- **2021-05-28** House requests conference committee
- **2021-05-28** House appoints conferees
- **2021-05-28** House refuses to concur-reported
- **2021-05-28** House requests conference committee-reported
- **2021-05-28** House appoints conferees-reported
- **2021-05-28** Senate grants request for conference comm.
- **2021-05-28** Senate appoints conferees
- **2021-05-28** Senate grants request for conf comm-reported
- **2021-05-28** Senate appoints conferees-reported
- **2021-05-30** House discharges conferees
- **2021-05-30** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)
- **2021-05-30** Record vote
- **2021-05-30** Text of Senate Amendment(s)
- **2021-05-30** House discharges conferees-reported
- **2021-05-30** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)-reported
- **2021-05-30** Reported enrolled
- **2021-05-31** Signed in the House
- **2021-05-31** Signed in the Senate
- **2021-06-01** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-06-18** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-18** Effective on 9/1/21 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/829995fe-92f6-4dc0-ab5f-a32ebb5b2e1b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).