IB 

Union Calendar No. 786 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6087 

[Report No. 115–1005] 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recover the cost of processing 

administrative protests for oil and gas lease sales, applications for permits to drill, and right of way applications, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 13, 2018 

Ms. CHENEY (for herself, Mr. GIANFORTE, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. BISHOP of 

Utah, and Mr. GOSAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources 

NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Additional sponsor: Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico 

NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 13, 2018] 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
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•HR 6087 RH

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recover the 

cost of processing administrative protests for oil and 

gas lease sales, applications for permits to drill, and 

right of way applications, and for other purposes. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 6087 RH

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 ‘‘Removing Barriers to 

5 Energy Independence Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE PROTEST PROCESS REFORM. 

7 Section 17 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226) 

8 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(q) PROTEST FILING FEE.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Before processing any pro11 test filed under this section, the Secretary shall collect 

12 a filing fee from the protestor to recover the cost for 

13 processing documents filed for each administrative 

14 protest. 

15 ‘‘(2) AMOUNT.—The filing fee shall be calculated 

16 as follows: 

17 ‘‘(A) For each protest filed in a submission 

18 not exceeding 10 pages in length, the base filing 

19 fee shall be $150. 

20 ‘‘(B) For each submission exceeding 10 

21 pages in length, an addition to the base filing 

22 fee, an assessment of $5 per page in excess of 10 

23 pages shall apply. 

24 ‘‘(C) For protests that include more than 

25 one oil and gas lease parcel, right-of-way, or apVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:13 Nov 02, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H6087.RH H6087

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•HR 6087 RH

1 plication for permit to drill in a submission, an 

2 additional assessment of $10 per additional lease 

3 parcel, right-of-way, or application for permit to 

4 drill shall apply. 

5 ‘‘(3) ADJUSTMENT.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on January 

7 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 

8 shall adjust the filing fees established in this sub9 section to whole dollar amounts to reflect changes 

10 in the Producer Price Index, as published by the 

11 Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the previous 12 

12 months. 

13 ‘‘(B) PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED FILING

14 FEES.—At least 30 days before the filing fees as 

15 adjusted under this paragraph take effect, the 

16 Secretary shall publish notification of the adjust17 ment of such fees in the Federal Register.’’. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 786 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6087 

[Report No. 115–1005] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to reand for other purposes. permits to drill, and right of way applications, tests for oil and gas lease sales, applications for cover the cost of processing administrative proNOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS