The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill SB 1005 requires detailed oil and gas production reporting, mandates post-production cost transparency, and sets penalties for late royalty payments
Last action · February 19, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Tom Willis and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia Senate Bill 1005 establishes strict reporting requirements, payment calculations, and auditing procedures for oil and natural gas well royalties. The measure prohibits lessees from deducting from mineral owners' royalties unless explicitly authorized by the lease, and imposes interest penalties and potential lease termination for late or inaccurate payments.
Mineral owners gain enforceable rights to audit production records, inspect daily well data, and receive detailed monthly statements, while producers face financial penalties and automatic lease termination if royalty payments are withheld beyond statutory deadlines.
- West Virginia royalty calculations have historically been shaped by landmark state Supreme Court rulings including Wellman v. Energy Resources, Inc. and Estate of Tawney v. Columbia Natural Resources, L.L.C. context
- The West Virginia Legislature previously enacted §22-6-8 in 2018 to reaffirm standard royalty interpretations for flat-rate leases following previous court rulings. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Mineral Owners and Lessors
Mineral owners receive enhanced monthly reporting, audit rights, electronic well monitoring access, and stricter protections against unauthorized cost deductions.
Oil and Gas Operators and Lessees
Operators must comply with mandatory monthly reporting, absorb post-production costs unless leases explicitly state otherwise, provide audit and monitoring access, and face penalties or lease termination for late payments.
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
What information must be included with my royalty payment?
Can a producer deduct transportation and processing costs from my royalty?
What happens if my royalty payment is late?
Do I have the right to audit my oil and gas producer?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 19, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 19, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 19, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 19, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled for introduction
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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Codification of Judicial Precedent
The bill explicitly references historical West Virginia court decisions such as Wellman and Tawney to cement existing judicial interpretations into statute.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools