May 22, 2013 1 min read

State Rep. Jesse White has introduced legislation that he says will protect landowners who lease their property to natural gas and oil drillers in Pennsylvania.

White’s House Bill 1442 would require each company to show royalty check stubs, payment forms and details of the well production, which he hopes will bring more transparency into the process.

White, D-Cecil, said the legislation is similar to a bill unanimously passed by the state Senate in February.

“Signing a gas lease is undoubtedly one of the biggest decisions a family will make in their lifetime regarding their property,” White said in a written statement. “Anyone who signs a lease deserves at the very least some basic and commonsense protections under the law.”

The legislation would guarantee a minimum royalty rate of 12.5 percent and would include older wells below that level if they are altered to increase production.