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Compact With Texans

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) was established in 1891 under a constitutional and legislative mandate to prevent discrimination in railroad charges and establish reasonable tariffs. It is the oldest regulatory agency in the state and one of the oldest of its kind in the nation. Three commissioners elected by Texas voters serve six-year terms. One commissioner is elected every two years.

The Railroad Commission of Texas is comprised of five divisions with regulatory authority. The divisions with brief descriptions of authority are as follows:

  • SAFETY - has safety jurisdiction over intrastate pipeline that transports natural gas, crude oil and refined products; has safety regulatory authority of propane, compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
  • GAS SERVICES - holds hearings when a city and gas utility can not agree on a proposed rate change; collects the gas utility tax and assures compliance with other statutory and regulatory requirements for intrastate gas utilities.
  • OIL AND GAS - regulates the exploration and production of oil and gas, issues permits for various activities associated with exploration and production of oil and gas, regulates the disposal of oil and gas waste to prevent pollution, plugs wells and cleans up oil and gas sites abandoned by the operators to prevent pollution, and oversees the activities of the RRC's nine district offices located across the state.
  • ALTERNATIVE FUELS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION - charged with researching and educating the public about propane and other environmentally beneficial fuels that can help reduce air pollution and developing marketing, technical training, advertising, and informational programs to increase public awareness about the fuel.
  • SURFACE MINING AND RECLAMATION - regulates surface mining for coal and uranium, conducts a program for reclaiming lands that were mined and abandoned before 1975, issues permits to companies for each mining site operated within the state, studies proposed mining sites to determine environmental impact.

Customer Service

Railroad Commission of Texas
2012 Report on Customer Service

The Railroad Commission of Texas is committed to customer service of the highest quality. With that in mind, RRC invites you to take this brief survey. Your input will help us attain our goal of quality customer service by telling us how we are doing and how we can improve. Thank you for taking the time to help us serve you better. Click here to take the survey.

If you are not happy with the service you have received or if you've had a positive experience, please direct your comments by email to publicassist@rrc.state.tx.us or call toll-free (877) 228-5740.