The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.AB 2716 updates oil and gas well bonding requirements and creates new financial assurance rules for well decommissioning
Record date · August 13, 2026
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What This Bill Would Do
AB 2716 changes how oil and gas operators must provide financial security for plugging and abandoning wells by replacing a flat $30 million cap with a sliding scale based on the number of active and s. The bill also creates a new pathway for entities to acquire wells specifically for redevelopment and , while expanding the scope of criminal penalties for non-compliance with financial reporting and idle well management plans.
This bill shifts the financial responsibility for cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells by requiring operators to maintain more precise, risk-based financial security, which impacts the long-term liability of both current operators and those acquiring wells for redevelopment.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Oil and gas well operators
Operators must comply with new sliding-scale security requirements and stricter reporting for self-insurance.
Entities acquiring wells for redevelopment
These entities must submit specific work plans and declarations under penalty of perjury to qualify for bonding exemptions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this bill change the financial security required for oil wells?
What happens if an operator fails to report financial issues?
Can I acquire a well just to clean it up for redevelopment?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition to Risk-Based Bonding
The bill moves away from a static $30 million cap toward a dynamic, well-count-based security model, indicating a shift toward scaling financial liability with operational footprint.
Connected Entities
Sources
openstates.org
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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