II 

Calendar No. 554 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4227 

[Report No. 117–203] 

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 

MAY 16, 2022 

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

NOVEMBER 17, 2022 

Reported by Mr. MANCHIN, with amendments 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

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, 


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•S 4227 RS

1 SECTION 1. COMPLIANCE WITH BLM PERMITTING. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi3 sion of law but subject to any State requirements, a Bu4 reau of Land Management drilling permit shall not be re5 quired under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Manage6 ment Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or section 

7 3164.1 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or a suc8 cessor regulation), for an action occurring within an oil 

9 and gas drilling or spacing unit if— 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the Mineral Leas11 ing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Federal Oil and Gas 

12 Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 

13 or subpart 3162 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations 

14 (or successor regulations), but subject to any State or Tribal 

15 requirements and subsection (c), the Secretary of the Inte16 rior shall not require a permit to drill for an oil and gas 

17 lease under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) 

18 for an action occurring within an oil and gas drilling or 

19 spacing unit if— 

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

21 the oil and gas drilling or spacing unit are minerals 

22 owned by the Federal Government; and 

23 (2) the Federal Government does not own or 

24 lease the surface estate within the area directly im25 pacted by the action. 


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1 (b) NOTIFICATION.—Each State with an approved 

2 permit to drill or drilling plan that would impact or extract 

3 oil and gas owned by the Federal Government shall notify 

4 the Secretary of the Interior of the approved permit to 

5 drill or drilling plan not later than 45 days after the date 

6 on which the permit or plan is approved. 

7 (c) ROYALTIES.—Nothing in this section affects the 

8 amount of royalties due to the Federal Government from 

9 the production of the Federal minerals within the oil and 

10 gas drilling or spacing unit. 

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

12 drilling plan that would impact or extract oil and gas 

13 owned by the Federal Government— 

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

15 (A) notify the Secretary of the Interior of 

16 the submission of a State application for a per17 mit to drill or drilling plan on submission of the 

18 application; and 

19 (B) provide a copy of the application de20 scribed in subparagraph (A) to the Secretary of 

21 the Interior not later than 5 days after the date 

22 on which the permit or plan is submitted; and 

23 (2) each lessee, designee of a lessee, or applicable 

24 State shall notify the Secretary of the Interior of the 

25 approved State permit to drill or drilling plan not 


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•S 4227 RS

1 later than 45 days after the date on which the permit 

2 or plan is approved. 

3 (c) NONAPPLICABILITY TO INDIAN LANDS.—Subsection 

4 (a) shall not apply to Indian lands (as defined in section 

5 3 of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 

6 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1702)). 

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

8 (1) other authorities of the Secretary of the Inte9 rior under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Manage10 ment Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or 

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

12 Government from the production of the Federal min13 erals within the oil and gas drilling or spacing unit. 


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Calendar No. 554 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4227 

[Report No. 117–203] 

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 

NOVEMBER 17, 2022 

Reported with amendments 


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