The last thing any driver wants is to pay for bad fuel. When Texas drivers fill up their gas tanks, they need to feel confident the fuel they pay for meets the highest quality standards and is free of water and other contaminants. Thanks to a new law, the Texas Department of Agriculture is now authorized to protect consumers from receiving tainted fuel.

The new statewide Fuel Quality Program was established as a result of the passage of House Bill 2925, which authorizes TDA to regulate fuel quality and assess penalties of up to $5,000 per fuel quality violation. The expanded authority also allows TDA to stop the sale of contaminated motor fuel or fuel that fails to meet national quality standards.

The Fuel Quality Program is funded through fees paid by fuel retailers, distributors, jobbers, suppliers and wholesalers of motor fuel. Until now, there has been no state agency in Texas with the authority to protect drivers from receiving contaminated fuel.

For more information about the Fuel Quality Program, visit the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Web site at http://www.texasagriculture.gov/.