Sponsors (4)
The bill speeds and reduces federal permitting for oil and gas development—benefiting operators and preserving federal revenue tools—but it shifts environmental, cultural, health, and regulatory risks to local communities, tribes, and states by removing key federal reviews and protections.
State-permitted oil and gas operators (including small businesses and utilities) can begin approved activity within 30 days and avoid duplicative federal permitting when the U.S. owns less than 50% subsurface interest, reducing project delays and regulatory burden.
Taxpayers and the federal government retain royalty collection and federal audit and civil-penalty authority on production, preserving federal revenue streams and enforcement tools.
The Department of the Interior is allowed to perform onsite inspections to verify production and royalty reporting, supporting federal accountability and oversight.
Rural and urban communities lose federal NEPA review for covered projects because state-only reviews replace federal environmental analysis and public review, reducing public transparency and federal environmental safeguards.
Listed species and habitats face greater risk because projects are exempted from ESA section 7 consultation, removing federal endangered species protections for covered activities.
Indigenous and local communities face risk to cultural and historic sites because projects are exempted from NHPA section 106 review, eliminating a federal review that identifies and mitigates harm to historic properties.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits a federal drilling permit and limits federal NEPA, NHPA, and ESA reviews for drilling on non‑Federal surface when the U.S. owns under 50% of the accessed subsurface and a state permit is submitted.
Official title: To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 25, 2025 by Stephanie I. Bice · Last progress February 25, 2025
Bars the Interior Secretary from requiring a federal drilling permit for oil and gas exploration or production when the surface is non‑Federal and the United States owns less than half of the subsurface minerals, provided the operator has a state permit. It also treats those activities as not a major federal action under NEPA, allows operations to begin 30 days after a state permit is submitted, and exempts them from certain historic‑preservation and endangered‑species reviews while preserving royalty collection and audit/penalty authorities. The provision excludes Indian lands, preserves the Secretary’s on‑site inspection rights and royalty enforcement under existing law, and does not change royalty or audit authorities under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act.