Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Tex. Natural Resources Code § 53.065

This is the official text of Tex. Natural Resources Code § 53.065, part of Texas’s Natural Resources Code — governs land, minerals, and natural resource management.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 53.065. PAYMENTS UNDER LEASE.

Official statutory text

(a) Under a lease executed under this subchapter before September 1, 1987, the lessee shall pay to the state 60 percent of all bonuses agreed to be paid for the lease and 60 percent of all rentals and royalties that are payable under the lease. The lessee shall pay to the owner of the surface 40 percent of all bonuses agreed to be paid for the lease and 40 percent of all rentals and royalties payable under the lease.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), under a lease executed under this subchapter on or after September 1, 1987, the lessee shall pay:

(1) to the state 80 percent of all bonuses agreed to be paid for the lease and 80 percent of all rentals and royalties that are payable under the lease; and

(2) to the owner of the surface 20 percent of all bonuses agreed to be paid for the lease and 20 percent of all rentals and royalties payable under the lease.

(c) Under a lease executed under this subchapter on or after September 1, 1999, for the exploration and production by surface mining of coal, lignite, potash, sulphur, thorium, or uranium, the lessee shall pay:

(1) to the state 60 percent of all bonuses agreed to be paid for the lease and 60 percent of all rentals and royalties that are payable under the lease; and

(2) to the owner of the surface 40 percent of all bonuses agreed to be paid for the lease and 40 percent of all rentals and royalties payable under the lease.

(d) If production is obtained, the state shall receive not less than one-sixteenth of the value of the minerals produced.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Texas?

Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.