A bill to require natural-gas operators to disclose specifics about deductions made from royalty checks paid to so-called interest owners passed the state House Tuesday and went on its way to the Senate for consideration, according to state Rep. Tina Pickett, R-Bradford, Sullivan and Susquehanna counties.

The legislation is about making sure landowners know exactly the types of payments deducted from their royalty checks, according to a news release. Today, landowners are having a tough time getting this information and there is no state requirement for it.

The bill's prime sponsor is state Rep. Garth D. Everett, R-Lycoming County, and the proposal passed the House 200-0, according to the state's legislative website.

The text of the legislation defines "interest owners" as those legally entitled to payment as a result of the sale of oil and natural gas that comes from wells in the commonwealth.

House Bill 1414 also would protect and enforce the rights of mineral rights owners so that each gets his or her "just and equitable share" of what is produced from wells or unconventional reservoirs of gas, according to the release. For the article go to --> http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article/20130612/CPBJ01/13061992...