Tex. Natural Resources Code § 53.155
This is the official text of Tex. Natural Resources Code § 53.155, 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.
§ 53.155. COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGES FROM USE OF SURFACE.
Official statutory text
(a) Leases issued under Subchapter B or E of this chapter for unsold surveyed or unsurveyed school land, other than land included in islands, saltwater lakes, bays, inlets, marshes, and reefs owned by the state in tidewater limits and other than that portion of the Gulf of Mexico within the jurisdiction of the state, must include a provision requiring compensation for damages from the use of the surface in prospecting for, exploring, developing, or producing the leased minerals.
(b) The commissioner by rule shall set the procedure for receiving compensation for damages to the surface of land dedicated to the permanent school fund.
(c) Money collected for surface damages shall be deposited in a special fund account in the State Treasury to be used for conservation, reclamation, or constructing permanent improvements on land that belongs to the permanent school fund.
(d) The special fund account must be an interest-bearing account, and the interest received on the account shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the permanent school fund.
(e) Money collected under this section and designated for the construction of permanent improvements as provided by this section must be used not later than two years after the date on which the money is collected.
(f) Any money that remains in the special fund account for longer than two years shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the permanent school fund.
(g) Compensation for damages under this section is in addition to any bonus, rental, royalty, or other payment required by the lease.
(b) The commissioner by rule shall set the procedure for receiving compensation for damages to the surface of land dedicated to the permanent school fund.
(c) Money collected for surface damages shall be deposited in a special fund account in the State Treasury to be used for conservation, reclamation, or constructing permanent improvements on land that belongs to the permanent school fund.
(d) The special fund account must be an interest-bearing account, and the interest received on the account shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the permanent school fund.
(e) Money collected under this section and designated for the construction of permanent improvements as provided by this section must be used not later than two years after the date on which the money is collected.
(f) Any money that remains in the special fund account for longer than two years shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the permanent school fund.
(g) Compensation for damages under this section is in addition to any bonus, rental, royalty, or other payment required by the lease.
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.