New Propane Community System Fees

The Railroad Commission of Texas adopted amendments to 16 TAC §8.201, as published in the February 20, 2026, Texas Register. The rulemaking stems from HB 4042 (89th Legislature, 2025), which removed the word “natural” from the statute, thereby placing propane community systems under the same pipeline safety and regulatory fee structure as natural gas systems. The amendments were originally proposed for public comment on November 14, 2025, and are now formally subjecting propane community systems to the applicable RRC fees.

New Fees for Propane Community Systems

RRC Pipeline Safety & Regulatory Fee 16 TAC §8.201 Service Line – $1.00 per service line

Annual Payment Due: March 15 of each year

RRC Pipeline Safety & Regulatory Fee 16 TAC §8.201 Master Meter System – $100 for each master meter system

Annual Payment Due: By June 30 of each year

Payment

Payment method will be online through the RRC PIPES Portal.

For both fees, there will be a Notice to Operators from the RRC which will include:

• Payment reminder

• RRC PIPES Portal setup instructions

Accessing the Portal

RRC held a training session a few years back on how to get set up in this portal that still applies today. Access the RRC PIPES portal training here: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/pipeline-safety/training/workshops-and-conferences/rrc-pipes-webinar/