PA HB671

Oil and gas contracts for the sale, transfer, conveyance, or lease of real property must be written in plain language that is easy to read and understand, using short words, active verbs, and avoiding technical legal terms, Latin phrases, and double negatives.

Contracts must be signed by the landowner in the presence of a Pennsylvania notary public, with notarized copies provided to both the landowner and the buyer or lessee.

Landowners may recover actual damages, $10,000 in statutory damages, court costs, and attorney fees from oil and gas companies that fail to comply with plain language requirements.

Violations are treated as violations of Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, with a 10-year statute of limitations from contract execution.

The act takes effect one year after enactment and applies to new contracts and renewals, extensions, or modifications of existing contracts.