BILL NUMBER: AB 1054	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 19, 2012
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JANUARY 4, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Skinner
    (   Coauthors:  
Assembly Members   Bradford,  
 Chesbro,     John
A. Pérez,     and V. Manuel Pérez
  ) 

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2011

   An act to amend Section 6804.1 of the Public Resources Code,
relating to public lands.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1054, as amended, Skinner. Public lands: oil and gas leases.
   Existing law authorizes the State Lands Commission to lease lands
owned by the state that are under the jurisdiction of the commission
for those purposes as the commission deems advisable, including, but
not limited to, grazing leases and leases for commercial, industrial,
and recreational purposes. Existing law allows lessees of oil and
gas and mineral leases to make and file with the commission a written
quitclaim or relinquishment of all rights under a lease comprising a
particular parcel. The quitclaim or relinquishment becomes effective
as of the date of its filing subject to specified conditions.
   This bill instead would allow a lessee to file with the commission
a written request for the commission to approve a quitclaim or
relinquishment of all  rights   or any portion
of the lease premises  under an oil and gas and mineral lease
subject to any required abandonment of facilities and required
reclamation of the lease premises. The bill would require the request
to approve a quitclaim or relinquishment of all rights under a lease
to be heard at a commission meeting.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 6804.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended
to read:
   6804.1.  (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the
contrary, a lessee may at any time file with the commission a written
request for the commission to  approve   accept
 a quitclaim or relinquishment of all  rights 
 or a portion of the lease premises  under any lease. A
quitclaim or relinquishment shall be effective upon completion of any
required abandonment of facilities and required reclamation of the
lease premises as  specified in the lease and  approved by
the commission. Until that time, a lessee  is subject to the
continued obligation of the lessee and the lessee's surety to pay all
  shall comply with all terms of the lease including
the payment of  rentals and royalties that have accrued.
   (b) A lessee's request for the commission to  approve
  accept  a quitclaim or relinquishment of all
 rights under a   or a portion of the 
lease  premises  shall be heard at the next regularly
scheduled commission meeting for which the request may be properly
reviewed and noticed. Upon  approval of  
acceptance by  the commission  and contingent upon any
other agreement between the lessee and the commission  , the
lessee shall be released from all obligations accruing under the
lease with respect to the lands  or rights 
quitclaimed or relinquished.  Approval of  
Acceptance of a quitclaim by  the commission does not release
the lessee or the lessee's surety from liability for breach of any
obligation of the lease for which the lessee is in default at the
time of approval. 
   (c) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to terminate,
modify, or replace any lease that was in effect prior to January 1,
2013.