II 

Calendar No. 125 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 535 

[Report No. 118–53] 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2023 

Mr. HOEVEN (for himself, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. DAINES) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

JULY 11, 2023 

Reported by Mr. MANCHIN, without amendment 

A BILL 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bureau of Land Man5 agement Mineral Spacing Act’’. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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•S 535 RS

1 SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH BLM PERMITTING. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the Mineral 

3 Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Federal Oil and 

4 Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 

5 et seq.), or subpart 3162 of title 43, Code of Federal Reg6 ulations (or successor regulations), but subject to any 

7 State or Tribal requirements and subsection (c), the Sec8 retary of the Interior shall not require a permit to drill 

9 for an oil and gas lease under the Mineral Leasing Act 

10 (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) for an action occurring within an 

11 oil and gas drilling or spacing unit if— 

12 (1) less than 50 percent of the minerals within 

13 the oil and gas drilling or spacing unit are minerals 

14 owned by the Federal Government; and 

15 (2) the Federal Government does not own or 

16 lease the surface estate within the area directly im17 pacted by the action. 

18 (b) NOTIFICATION.—For each State permit to drill 

19 or drilling plan that would impact or extract oil and gas 

20 owned by the Federal Government— 

21 (1) each lessee, or designee of a lessee, shall— 

22 (A) notify the Secretary of the Interior of 

23 the submission of a State application for a per24 mit to drill or drilling plan on submission of the 

25 application; and 


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•S 535 RS

1 (B) provide a copy of the application de2 scribed in subparagraph (A) to the Secretary of 

3 the Interior not later than 5 days after the date 

4 on which the permit or plan is submitted; and 

5 (2) each lessee, designee of a lessee, or applica6 ble State shall notify the Secretary of the Interior of 

7 the approved State permit to drill or drilling plan 

8 not later than 45 days after the date on which the 

9 permit or plan is approved. 

10 (c) NONAPPLICABILITY TO INDIAN LANDS.—Sub11 section (a) shall not apply to Indian lands (as defined in 

12 section 3 of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management 

13 Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1702)). 

14 (d) EFFECT.—Nothing in this section affects— 

15 (1) other authorities of the Secretary of the In16 terior under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Man17 agement Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or 

18 (2) the amount of royalties due to the Federal 

19 Government from the production of the Federal min20 erals within the oil and gas drilling or spacing unit. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 125 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 535 

[Report No. 118–53] 

A BILL 

To streamline the oil and gas permitting process 

poses. gas drilling or spacing units, and for other purand to recognize fee ownership for certain oil and 

JULY 11, 2023 

Reported without amendment 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS