American Energy Security and Transparency Act
This bill requires the Department of the Interior to immediately resume sales of oil and gas leases in accordance with applicable onshore mineral leasing laws. The bill further specifies that Interior must conduct a minimum number of sales and offer all parcels eligible for oil and gas development in each state where there is land available for oil and gas leasing.
Additionally, Interior must report to Congress, and publish certain information on its website, concerning sales of oil and gas leases and related drilling permits.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6927 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6927
To immediately resume onshore oil and gas lease sales, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 3, 2022
Ms. Herrell (for herself, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Newhouse, Mrs. Miller of
Illinois, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr.
Rosendale, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Young, Mr. Pfluger, Ms. Cheney, Mr.
Tiffany, Mr. Babin, and Mr. Bentz) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To immediately resume onshore oil and gas lease sales, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Energy Security and
Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. ONSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING.
(a) Requirement To Immediately Resume Onshore Oil and Gas Lease
Sales.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior shall
immediately resume oil and gas lease sales in accordance with
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Mineral
Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.), and any
other applicable onshore mineral leasing laws.
(2) Requirement.--The Secretary of the Interior shall
ensure that any oil and gas lease sale made pursuant to
paragraph (1) is conducted immediately on completion of all
applicable scoping, public comment, and environmental analysis
requirements under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et
seq.) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
(b) Annual Lease Sales.--
(1) In general.--In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act
(30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired
Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.), and any other applicable onshore
mineral leasing laws, beginning in fiscal year 2022, the
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a minimum of four oil
and gas lease sales annually in each of the following States:
(A) Wyoming.
(B) New Mexico.
(C) Colorado.
(D) Utah.
(E) Montana.
(F) North Dakota.
(G) Oklahoma.
(H) Nevada.
(I) Any other State in which there is land
available for oil and gas leasing under the Mineral
Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Mineral
Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.),
and any other applicable onshore mineral leasing laws.
(2) Requirement.--In conducting a lease sale under
paragraph (1) in a State described in that paragraph, the
Secretary of the Interior shall offer all parcels eligible for
oil and gas development under the resource management plan in
effect for the State.
(3) Replacement sales.--If, for any reason, a lease sale
under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year is canceled, delayed, or
deferred, including for a lack of eligible parcels, the
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a replacement sale
during the same fiscal year.
(c) Requirement To Submit Documents and Communications.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall
submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives all documents and communications relating to
the comprehensive review of Federal oil and gas permitting and
leasing practices required under section 208 of Executive Order
14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7624; relating to tackling the climate
crisis at home and abroad).
(2) Inclusions.--The submission under paragraph (1) shall
include all documents and communications submitted to the
Secretary of the Interior by members of the public in response
to any public meeting or forum relating to the comprehensive
review described in that paragraph.
(d) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate a report that describes--
(A) the status of nominated parcels for future
onshore oil and gas lease sales, including--
(i) the number of expressions of interest
that the Bureau of Land Management has not
taken any action to review, or not completed
review of, as of the date of enactment of this
section; and
(ii) how long such expressions of interest
have been pending;
(B) the status of each pending application for a
permit to drill in each Bureau of Land Management State
office as of the date of enactment of this section;
(C) the number of applications for a permit to
drill issued by each Bureau of Land Management State
office as of the date of enactment of this section;
(D) how the Bureau of Land Management determines
whether to--
(i) issue a permit to drill; and
(ii) issue, extend, or suspend an oil and
gas lease;
(E) when determinations described in subparagraph
(D) are sent to the national office of the Bureau of
Land Management for final approval; and
(F) the degree to which Bureau of Land Management
field offices exercise discretion on such final
approval.
(2) Public availability of data.--
(A) Expressions of interest.--Not later than 30
days after the date of enactment of this section, and
each month thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior
shall publish on the website of the Department of the
Interior the number of pending, approved, and not
approved expressions of interest in nominated parcels
for future onshore oil and gas lease sales in the
preceding month.
(B) Applications for permits to drill.--Not later
than 30 days after the date of enactment of this
section, and each month thereafter, the Secretary of
the Interior shall publish on the website of the
Department of the Interior the number of pending and
approved applications for permits to drill in the
preceding month.
(e) Processing Applications for Permits To Drill.--Section 17(p) of
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(p)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(4) Effect of pending civil action on processing
applications for permits to drill.--The Secretary may not delay
processing an application for a permit to drill under a valid
existing lease on the basis that there is a pending civil
action, unless and until a court determines the lease was not
issued in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
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