BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act of 2014

To expand and extend the program to improve permit coordination by the Bureau of Land Management, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act of 2014 2. Program to improve Federal permit coordination Section 365 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15924 (1) in the section heading, by striking Pilot (2) by striking Pilot Project Project (3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico the States in which Project offices are located (4) in subsection (d)— (A) in the subsection heading, by striking Pilot (B) by adding at the end the following: (8) Any other State, district, or field office of the Bureau of Land Management determined by the Secretary. ; (5) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: (e) Report to Congress Not later than February 1 of the first fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act of 2014 (1) the allocation of funds to each Project office for the previous fiscal year; and (2) the accomplishments of each Project office relating to the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations during that fiscal year. ; (6) in subsection (h), by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following: (6) the States in which Project offices are located. ; (7) by striking subsection (i); and (8) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (i). 3. BLM oil and gas permit processing fee Section 35 of the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 191 (d) BLM oil and gas permit processing fee (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2026, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill that is submitted to the Secretary. (2) Amount The amount of the fee shall be $9,500 for each new application, as indexed for United States dollar inflation from October 1, 2015 (as measured by the Consumer Price Index). (3) Use Of the fees collected under this subsection for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall transfer— (A) for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019— (i) 15 percent to the field offices that collected the fees and used to process protests, leases, and permits under this Act, subject to appropriation; and (ii) 85 percent to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund established under subsection (c)(2)(B) (referred to in this subsection as the Fund (B) for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2026, all of the fees to the Fund. (4) Additional costs During each of fiscal years of 2016 through 2026, the Secretary shall not implement a rulemaking that would enable an increase in fees to recover additional costs related to processing applications for permits to drill. . 4. BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund (a) In general Section 35(c) of the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 191(c) (3) Use of Fund (A) In general The Fund shall be available to the Secretary of the Interior for expenditure, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, for the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on onshore Federal land. (B) Accounts The Secretary shall divide the Fund into— (i) a Rental Account (referred to in this subsection as the Rental Account (ii) a Fee Account (referred to in this subsection as the Fee Account (4) Rental Account (A) In general The Secretary shall use the Rental Account for— (i) the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on onshore Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Project offices identified under section 365(d) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15924(d) (ii) training programs for development of expertise related to coordinating and processing oil and gas use authorizations. (B) Allocation In determining the allocation of the Rental Account among Project offices for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall consider— (i) the number of applications for permit to drill received in a Project office during the previous fiscal year; (ii) the backlog of applications described in clause (i) in a Project office; (iii) publicly available industry forecasts for development of oil and gas resources under the jurisdiction of a Project office; and (iv) any opportunities for partnership with local industry organizations and educational institutions in developing training programs to facilitate the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations. (5) Fee Account (A) In general The Secretary shall use the Fee Account for the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on onshore Federal land. (B) Allocation The Secretary shall transfer not less than 75 percent of the revenues collected by an office for the processing of applications for permits to the State office of the State in which the fees were collected. . (b) Interest on overpayment adjustment Section 111(h) of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 ( 30 U.S.C. 1721(h) the rate a rate equal to the sum of the Federal short-term rate determined under section 6621(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 plus 1 percentage point. 5. Budgetary effects The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation

Summary: BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make the Federal Permit Streamlining Project program permanent. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to collect for each of FY2016-FY2026 a fee of $9,500 for each new application for a drilling permit. Allocates specified percentages of such fees to: (1) the field offices that collected the fees used to process protests, leases, and permits; and (2) the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund, now divided into a Rental Account and a Fee Account. Prohibits the Secretary, during FY2016-FY2026, from implementing a rulemaking that would enable an increase in fees to recover additional costs related to processing applications for drilling permits. Makes the Fund available to the Secretary for expenditure for the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on Indian trust mineral estate land (as well as onshore federal land, as under current law). Directs the Secretary to use: (1) the Rental Account and the Fee Account for this coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations, and (2) the Rental Account also for training for development of expertise related to coordinating and processing these authorizations. Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 to make the rate of interest allowed and paid or credited for any royalty overpayment equal to the sum of the federal short-term rate plus one percentage point.