An Act amending Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in development, further providing for definitions and for plugging requirements.
SB 712 amends Pennsylvania's Oil and Gas law, specifically concerning well development and plugging requirements for oil and gas wells. The bill introduces new definitions, including "Attainable bottom" and "Reasonable effort" for cleaning out a well, which specifies how deep an operator must attempt to clean before plugging. A key provision mandates that oil and gas operators, when plugging wells, must set a minimum 50-foot cement plug at the "attainable bottom" of the well bore. This plug's depth and effectiveness must be confirmed, and the remaining well bore then plugged to the surface with a solid column of cement, directly impacting oil and gas operators in the state.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced May 2, 2025
Last action Feb 5, 2026
Floor votes · Senate Feb 4, 2026
How they voted
32–16
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 50
Feb 4, 2026
D
Democratic23
69% Nay
R
Republican27
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
8
Key actions
3
Committee
5
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
Referred to Environmental & Natural Resource Protection
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Re-reported as committed
upper
May 12, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
upper
May 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported as committed
upper
May 2, 2025
Committee
Referred to Environmental Resources & Energy
upper
1 primary · 6 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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