I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9024 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report and maintain 
publicly available data on expressions of interests, applications for per-
mits to drill, and offshore geological and geophysical survey licenses, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 
Mr. TIFFANY (for himself and Mr. WESTERMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report 
and maintain publicly available data on expressions of 
interests, applications for permits to drill, and offshore 
geological and geophysical survey licenses, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Directing Responsi-
bility to Interior for Leases and Licenses Act’’ or the 
‘‘DRILL Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST; APPLICATIONS FOR 
PERMITS TO DRILL; OFFSHORE GEOLOGICAL 
AND GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY LICENSING. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior 
shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that 
describes— 
(1) the status of nominated parcels for future 
onshore oil and gas lease sales, including— 
(A) the number of expressions of interest 
that the Bureau of Land Management has not 
taken any action to review, or not completed re-
view of, as of the date of enactment of this sec-
tion; and 
(B) how long such expressions of interest 
have been pending; 
(2) the status of each pending application for a 
permit to drill, including the number of applications 
received, in each Bureau of Land Management State 
office as of the date of enactment of this section, in-
cluding— 
(A) a description of the cause of delay for 
pending applications, including as a result of 
staffing shortages, technical limitations, incom-
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plete applications, and incomplete review pursu-
ant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or other ap-
plicable laws; 
(B) the number of days an application has 
been pending in violation of section 17(p)(2) of 
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(p)(2)); 
and 
(C) steps the office is taking to come into 
compliance with the requirements of section 
17(p)(2) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(p)(2)); 
(3) the number of permits to drill issued by 
each Bureau of Land Management State office as of 
the date of enactment of this section; 
(4) the status of each pending application for a 
license for offshore geological and geophysical sur-
veys, including the number of applications received, 
in each Bureau of Ocean Energy management re-
gional office, including— 
(A) a description of any cause of delay for 
pending applications, including as a result of 
staffing shortages, technical limitations, incom-
plete applications, and incomplete review pursu-
ant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
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of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or other ap-
plicable laws; 
(B) the number of days an application has 
been pending; and 
(C) steps the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management is taking to complete review of 
each application; 
(5) the number of licenses for offshore geologi-
cal and geophysical surveys issued by each Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management regional office as of 
the date of enactment of this section; 
(6) the status of each pending application for a 
permit to drill, including the number of applications 
received, in each Bureau of Safety and Environ-
mental Enforcement regional office, including— 
(A) a description of any cause of delay for 
pending applications, including as a result of 
staffing shortages, technical limitations, incom-
plete applications, and incomplete review pursu-
ant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or other ap-
plicable laws; 
(B) the number of days an application has 
been pending; and 
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(C) steps the Bureau of Safety and Envi-
ronmental Enforcement is taking to complete 
review of each application; 
(7) the number of permits to drill issued by 
each Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforce-
ment regional office as of the date of enactment of 
this section; 
(8) how, as applicable, the Bureau of Land 
Management, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage-
ment, and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement determines whether to— 
(A) issue a license for geological and geo-
physical surveys; 
(B) issue a permit to drill; and 
(C) issue, extend, or suspend an oil and 
gas lease; 
(9) when determinations described in paragraph 
(8) are sent to the national office of the Bureau of 
Land Management, the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, or the Bureau of Safety and Environ-
mental Enforcement for final approval; 
(10) the degree to which Bureau of Land Man-
agement, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 
and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforce-
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ment field, State, and regional offices exercise dis-
cretion on such final approval; 
(11) the number of auctioned leases receiving 
accepted bids that have not been issued to winning 
bidders and the number days such leases have not 
been issued; and 
(12) a description of the uses of application for 
permit to drill fees paid by permit holders over the 
previous 5-year period. 
(b) PENDING
APPLICATIONS
FOR
PERMITS
TO 
DRILL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of enact-
ment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
issue all pending applications for a permit to drill that 
meet the requirements of section 17(p)(2) of the Mineral 
Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(p)(2)). 
(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF DATA.— 
(1) MINERAL LEASING ACT.—Section 17 of the 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(s) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF DATA.— 
‘‘(1) EXPRESSIONS
OF
INTEREST.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, and each month thereafter, the Secretary 
shall publish on the website of the Department of 
the Interior the number of pending, approved, and 
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not approved expressions of interest in nominated 
parcels for future onshore oil and gas lease sales in 
the preceding month. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO DRILL.— 
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this subsection, and each month thereafter, the 
Secretary shall publish on the website of the Depart-
ment of the Interior the number of pending and ap-
proved applications for permits to drill in the pre-
ceding month in each State office. 
‘‘(3) PAST DATA.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall publish on the website of the Depart-
ment of the Interior, with respect to the 5-year pe-
riod ending on the date of enactment of this sub-
section— 
‘‘(A) the number of approved and not ap-
proved expressions of interest for onshore oil 
and gas lease sales during such 5-year period; 
and 
‘‘(B) the number of approved and not ap-
proved applications for permits to drill during 
such 5-year period.’’. 
(2) OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT.— 
Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 
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(43 U.S.C. 1337) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(q) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF DATA.— 
‘‘(1) 
OFFSHORE
GEOLOGICAL
AND
GEO-
PHYSICAL
SURVEY
LICENSES.—Not later than 30 
days after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
and each month thereafter, the Secretary shall pub-
lish on the website of the Department of the Interior 
the number of pending and approved applications for 
licenses for offshore to geological and geophysical 
surveys in the preceding month. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO DRILL.— 
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this subsection, and each month thereafter, the 
Secretary shall publish on the website of the Depart-
ment of the Interior the number of pending and ap-
proved applications for permits to drill on the outer 
Continental Shelf in the preceding month in each re-
gional office. 
‘‘(3) PAST DATA.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall publish on the website of the Depart-
ment of the Interior, with respect to the 5-year pe-
riod ending on the date of enactment of this sub-
section— 
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‘‘(A) the number of approved applications 
for licenses for offshore geological and geo-
physical surveys; and 
‘‘(B) the number of approved applications 
for permits to drill on the outer Continental 
Shelf.’’. 
(d) REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS
AND 
COMMUNICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
of the Interior shall submit to the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives all documents and communications 
relating to the comprehensive review of Federal oil 
and gas permitting and leasing practices required 
under section 208 of Executive Order 14008 (86 
Fed. Reg. 7624; relating to tackling the climate cri-
sis at home and abroad). 
(2) INCLUSIONS.—The submission under para-
graph (1) shall include all documents and commu-
nications submitted to the Secretary of the Interior 
by members of the public in response to any public 
meeting or forum relating to the comprehensive re-
view described in that paragraph. 
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SEC. 3. STAFF PLANNING REPORT. 
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall each annually submit to the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate a report on the staffing capacity of each respective 
agency with respect to issuing oil, gas, coal, and renewable 
energy leases, rights-of-way, easements, and permits. 
Each such report shall include— 
(1) the number of staff assigned to oil, gas, 
coal, and renewable energy leasing and permitting, 
respectively; and 
(2) a description of how many staff are needed 
to meet statutory requirements for such leasing and 
permitting and how, as applicable, the Department 
of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture 
plans to address staffing shortfalls for such leasing 
and permitting. 
Æ 
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