None.
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, home addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and personal family information of government employees and officials (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117), and information of a private nature (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.101) an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or email including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
These records are master negative microfilm. This film is unique and fragile and requires that a duplicate use copy be made of any reel that a researcher wishes to view. A duplicate use copy can be made at the researcher's expense. Arrangements for duplication and prepayment need to be made with the State and Local Records Management Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
The Railroad Commission of Texas had its origin in the demands of the
shipping public in the late 1880s which insisted that railroads be subject
to
regulation based on public interest. An advocate for governmental
regulation,
Attorney General James Stephen Hogg ran for Governor in 1890 with the issue
of
railroad regulation as the focal point of the campaign. Hogg was elected
Governor in the general election and the voters also approved an amendment
to
Article X, Section 2 of the Texas Constitution that empowered the
Legislature
to enact statutes creating regulatory agencies. These elections paved the
way
for the Legislature to enact on April 3, 1891
The Commission originally consisted of three members appointed by the Governor for three-year terms. Governor Hogg appointed the first three Commissioners in 1891, including John H. Reagan, who resigned as U.S. Senator from Texas to serve as the first Chairman. The Texas Constitution, Article XIX, Section 30 was amended in 1894 to provide for elective six-year overlapping terms for the Commissioners. That same year John H. Reagan was elected and served until his retirement in 1903.
The Texas Railroad Commission was the first regulatory agency created in the State of Texas and originally had jurisdiction over the rates and operations of railroads, terminals, wharves and express companies. The legal focus was on intrastate passenger and freight activities. Interstate jurisdiction fell under the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission. For the first twenty-five years of its existence, the Railroad Commission was largely concerned with regulating railroads, setting rates, receiving complaints, and making investigations. As other controversies arose where the Legislature deemed that the public interest could best be served by regulation, additional duties were assigned to the Railroad Commission.
The Railroad Commission's authority was broadened beginning in 1917 with the passage of the Pipeline Petroleum Law, Senate Bill 68, 35th Legislature, Regular Session, that declared pipelines to be common carriers like railroads and placed them under the Commission's jurisdiction. This was the first act to designate the Railroad Commission as the agency to administer conservation laws relating to oil and gas.
The Commission's regulatory and enforcement powers in oil and gas were increased by Senate Bill 350 of the 36th Legislature, Regular Session, the Oil and Gas Conservation Law, effective June 18, 1919. This act gave the Railroad Commission jurisdiction to regulate the production of oil and gas. Acting upon this legislation, the Commission adopted in 1919 the first statewide rules regulating the oil and gas industry to promote conservation and safety, including Rule 37. This rule requires minimum distances between wells at drilling sites in order to protect field pressure and correlative rights.
The Gas Utilities Act of 1920, House Bill 11, 36th Legislature, 3rd
Called Session, gave the Commission regulatory and rate authority over
individuals and businesses producing, transporting, or distributing natural
gas
in Texas. In 1937, following a large natural gas explosion in a school in
New
London, Texas, the 45th Legislature passed legislation giving the Railroad
Commission the authority to adopt rules and regulations pertaining to the
odorization of natural gas or liquefied petroleum gases (House Bill 1017,
Regular Session). The passage of the Public Regulatory Act of 1975 (PURA),
House Bill 819, 64th Legislature, Regular Session, required certain state
regulatory agencies, including the Commission, to set the overall revenues
of a
utility based on its
Regulation of liquefied petroleum was added to the Commission's responsibilities in 1939 by House Bill 792, 46th Legislature, Regular Session. The legislation authorized the Commission to adopt and enforce safety rules and standards in the storage, handling, transportation, and odorization of butane or LP-gases. Regulation of compressed natural gas was added to the Railroad Commission's responsibilities in 1983 (Senate Bill 617, 68th Legislature, Regular Session).
The Motor Bus Law of 1927, House Bill 50, 40th Legislature, Regular Session, and the Motor Carrier Law of 1929, House Bill 654, 41st Legislature, Regular Session, extended the Commission's regulatory powers to commercial transportation of persons and property on state highways. Motor transportation activities were handled by the Motor Transportation Division. In 1995, following federal deregulation of motor carriers, the 74th Legislature eliminated the Commission's authority to regulate commercial carriers involved in intrastate transport and transferred the remaining responsibilities related to commercial carriers (motor carrier registration, insurance verification, and safety) to the Texas Department of Transportation (Senate Bill 971, Regular Session), and the Department of Public Safety (Senate Bill 3, Regular Session).
The Texas Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975, Senate Bill 55, 64th Legislature, Regular Session, authorized the Commission to regulate the exploration for and surface mining of coal, lignite, and uranium within the state and to oversee the reclamation of lands disturbed by surface mining operations. In 1991, the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, passed House Bill 451, the Texas Aggregate Quarry and Pit Safety Act, that authorized the Commission to regulate quarry and pit operations.
The Commission's authority over railroads diminished over the latter half of the twentieth century. The Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 vested rail safety responsibilities in the Federal Railroad Administration. In 1980, the Federal Staggers Rail Act largely eliminated the Commission's responsibility for setting rates for intrastate railroads. By 1984, the Commission ceased its role in the economic regulation of the Texas rail industry. Regulatory powers over rail safety were granted in 1985 when the 69th Legislature authorized the Commission to implement a rail safety program in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration Act of 1970 (Senate Bill 444, 69th Legislature, Regular Session).
The Railroad Commission regulates the oil and gas industry to prevent the waste of resources and to protect property rights and the environment. It oversees hazardous materials pipelines and natural gas pipelines and distribution systems as well as propane, butane, compressed natural gas, and liquefied natural gas. The Commission licenses and conducts seminars for oil and gas dealers and their employees. It also oversees railroad safety and rail planning; surface mining for coal, uranium, and iron ore gravel; and land reclamation when mining is complete.
The
Railroad Commission support divisions include the Public Information Office, Personnel, Finance and Administration, Information Technology Services, Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Office of Internal Audit. Three elected Commissioners direct the operations of the agency.
In 1999, the agency had approximately 848 FTE (full-time equivalent) employees. Legal authority for the Railroad Commission is the Texas Constitution, Art. X, Sec. 2 and Art. XVI, Sec. 30; and the Natural Resources Code, Chapter 81.
These records are the general correspondence and research files of directors of the Gas Utilitities Division (later called the Gas Services Division) of the Railroad Commission of Texas dating 1935-1946, 1972-1979. Most of the records are from the directorships of first Walter Wendladt and then Frank Youngblood in the 1970s. Only one reel of microfilm contains correspondence from 1935-1946.
There is much correspondence with federal and state government officials including Texas Railroad Commissioners, Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Office of State-Federal Relations, Federal Energy Administration, Congressional aides, and legislative committees. Other correspondents include the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), cities, electric power cooperatives, natural gas utilities and companies, solar energy companies, the Interstate Oil Compact Association, and private citizens.
Subjects covered include the federal deregulation of natural gas, the LoVaca Gas Gathering Company and Crystal City dispute of the early 1970s, energy conservation, natural gas rates, rate hike requests, the Alaska pipeline, and citizen complaints of gas utility service and rates.
Besides correspondence, other types of records include transcripts of testimony of Division directors before state and federal legislative committees, speeches by the directors, state and federal legislative bills, legal briefs, Texas Attorney General opinions, reports to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, energy related publications, newsletters from universities, and newspaper clippings.
Also found are internal records of the Gas Utilities Division including travel vouchers and receipts of Division personnel, bids for surplus state property, insurance policies, personnel and employments records, and copies of Division newsletters. Some personal correspondence of the directors is also present.
This finding aid describes a single series of the Railroad Commission
of Texas records. See
These records are arranged by director and then roughly by subject.
(Identify the item), Directors' general correspondence, Gas Utilities Division, Records, Railroad Commission of Texas. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Described by Paul B. Beck, February 1987
Accession number: 1981/120
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Railroad Commissin of Texas on February 12, 1981.