226 
and shall take into consideration the socioeconomic 
impacts, infrastructure requirements, and fiscal sta-
bility for local communities located within areas con-
taining onshore energy resources; and 
(3) the Congress will monitor the deployment of 
personnel and material onshore to encourage the de-
velopment of American manufacturing to enable 
United States workers to benefit from this subtitle 
through good jobs and careers, as well as the estab-
lishment of important industrial facilities to support 
expanded access to American resources. 
(b) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall when possible, and practicable, encourage the use of 
United States workers and equipment manufactured in 
the United States in all construction related to mineral 
resource development under this subtitle. 
CHAPTER 1—ONSHORE OIL AND GAS 
PERMIT STREAMLINING 
Subchapter A—Miscellaneous Provisions 
SEC. 911. SHORT TITLE. 
This chapter may be cited as the ‘‘Streamlining Per-
mitting of American Energy Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 912. PERMIT TO DRILL APPLICATION TIMELINE. 
Section 17(p)(2) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 
U.S.C. 226(p)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO DRILL RE-
FORM AND PROCESS.— 
‘‘(A) TIMELINE.—The Secretary shall de-
cide whether to issue a permit to drill within 30 
days after receiving an application for the per-
mit. The Secretary may extend such period for 
up to 2 periods of 15 days each, if the Sec-
retary has given written notice of the delay to 
the applicant. The notice shall be in the form 
of a letter from the Secretary or a designee of 
the Secretary, and shall include the names and 
titles of the persons processing the application, 
the specific reasons for the delay, and a specific 
date a final decision on the application is ex-
pected. 
‘‘(B) NOTICE OF REASONS FOR DENIAL.— 
If the application is denied, the Secretary shall 
provide the applicant— 
‘‘(i) in writing, clear and comprehen-
sive reasons why the application was not 
accepted and detailed information con-
cerning any deficiencies; and 
‘‘(ii) an opportunity to remedy any de-
ficiencies. 
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‘‘(C) APPLICATION DEEMED APPROVED.— 
If the Secretary has not made a decision on the 
application by the end of the 60-day period be-
ginning on the date the application is received 
by the Secretary, the application is deemed ap-
proved, except in cases in which existing reviews 
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.) are incomplete. 
‘‘(D) DENIAL
OF
PERMIT.—If the Sec-
retary decides not to issue a permit to drill in 
accordance with subparagraph (A), the Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(i) provide to the applicant a descrip-
tion of the reasons for the denial of the 
permit; 
‘‘(ii) allow the applicant to resubmit 
an application for a permit to drill during 
the 10-day period beginning on the date 
the applicant receives the description of 
the denial from the Secretary; and 
‘‘(iii) issue or deny any resubmitted 
application not later than 10 days after the 
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date the application is submitted to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(E) FEE.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
any other law, the Secretary shall collect a 
single $6,500 permit processing fee per ap-
plication from each applicant at the time 
the final decision is made whether to issue 
a permit under subparagraph (A). This fee 
shall not apply to any resubmitted applica-
tion. 
‘‘(ii) TREATMENT OF PERMIT PROC-
ESSING FEE.—Of all fees collected under 
this paragraph, 50 percent shall be trans-
ferred to the field office where they are col-
lected and used to process protests, leases, 
and permits under this Act subject to ap-
propriation.’’. 
SEC. 913. ADMINISTRATIVE PROTEST DOCUMENTATION RE-
FORM. 
Section 17(p) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(p)) is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) PROTEST FEE.— 
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
collect a $5,000 documentation fee to accom-
pany each protest for a lease, right-of-way, or 
application for permit to drill. 
‘‘(B) TREATMENT OF FEES.—Of all fees 
collected under this paragraph, 50 percent shall 
remain in the field office where they are col-
lected and used to process protests subject to 
appropriation.’’. 
SEC. 914. MAKING PILOT OFFICES PERMANENT TO IM-
PROVE ENERGY PERMITTING ON FEDERAL 
LANDS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
(referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall estab-
lish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project (referred to 
in this section as the ‘‘Project’’) in every Bureau of Land 
Management field office with responsibility for permitting 
energy projects on Federal land. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for 
purposes of this section with— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture; 
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(B) the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency; and 
(C) the Chief of the Army Corps of Engi-
neers. 
(2) STATE
PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary 
may request that the Governor of any State with en-
ergy projects on Federal lands to be a signatory to 
the memorandum of understanding. 
(c) DESIGNATION OF QUALIFIED STAFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the signing of the memorandum of un-
derstanding under subsection (b), all Federal signa-
tory parties shall, if appropriate, assign to each of 
the Bureau of Land Management field offices an 
employee who has expertise in the regulatory issues 
relating to the office in which the employee is em-
ployed, including, as applicable, particular expertise 
in— 
(A) the consultations and the preparation 
of biological opinions under section 7 of the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1536); 
(B) permits under section 404 of the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1344); 
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(C) regulatory matters under the Clean Air 
Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); 
(D) planning under the National Forest 
Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a et 
seq.); and 
(E) the preparation of analyses under the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
(2) DUTIES.—Each employee assigned under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) not later than 90 days after the date 
of assignment, report to the Bureau of Land 
Management Field Managers in the office to 
which the employee is assigned; 
(B) be responsible for all issues relating to 
the energy projects that arise under the au-
thorities of the employee’s home agency; and 
(C) participate as part of the team of per-
sonnel working on proposed energy projects, 
planning, and environmental analyses on Fed-
eral lands. 
(d) ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.—The Secretary shall 
assign to each Bureau of Land Management field office 
identified in subsection (a) any additional personnel that 
are necessary to ensure the effective approval and imple-
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mentation of energy projects administered by the Bureau 
of Land Management field offices, including inspection 
and enforcement relating to energy development on Fed-
eral land, in accordance with the multiple use mandate 
of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). 
(e) FUNDING.—Funding for the additional personnel 
shall come from the Department of the Interior reforms 
identified in sections 21111 and 21121. 
(f) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this section af-
fects— 
(1) the operation of any Federal or State law; 
or 
(2) any delegation of authority made by the 
head of a Federal agency whose employees are par-
ticipating in the Project. 
(g) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section the 
term ‘‘energy projects’’ includes oil, natural gas, and other 
energy projects as defined by the Secretary. 
SEC. 915. ADMINISTRATION OF CURRENT LAW. 
Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall not require a finding of extraordinary cir-
cumstances in administering section 390 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15942). 
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SEC. 916. FUNDING OIL AND GAS RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior shall 
provide matching funding for joint projects with States to 
conduct oil and gas resource assessments on Federal lands 
with significant oil and gas potential. 
(b) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the cost 
of activities under this section shall not exceed 50 percent. 
(c) RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.—Any resource assess-
ment under this section shall be conducted by a State, in 
consultation with the United States Geological Survey. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section a total of $50,000,000 for fiscal years 
2015 through 2018. 
SEC. 917. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this subtitle shall be construed to author-
ize the issuance of a lease under the Mineral Leasing Act 
(30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) to any person designated for the 
imposition of sanctions pursuant to— 
(1) the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (50 U.S.C. 
1701 note), the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Ac-
countability and Divestiture Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 
8501 et seq.), the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria 
Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et 
seq.), section 1245 of the National Defense Author-
ization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8513a), 
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or the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act 
of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8801 et seq.); 
(2) Executive Order No. 13622 (July 30, 
2012), Executive Order No. 13628 (October 9, 
2012), or Executive Order No. 13645 (June 3, 
2013); 
(3) Executive Order No. 13224 (September 23, 
2001) or Executive Order No. 13338 (May 11, 
2004); or 
(4) the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sov-
ereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 2151 
note). 
Subchapter B—Judicial Review 
SEC. 921. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subchapter— 
(1) the term ‘‘covered civil action’’ means a civil 
action containing a claim under section 702 of title 
5, United States Code, regarding agency action (as 
defined for the purposes of that section) affecting a 
covered energy project on Federal lands of the 
United States; and 
(2) the term ‘‘covered energy project’’ means 
the leasing of Federal lands of the United States for 
the exploration, development, production, processing, 
or transmission of oil, natural gas, or any other 
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source of energy, and any action under such a lease, 
except that the term does not include any disputes 
between the parties to a lease regarding the obliga-
tions under such lease, including regarding any al-
leged breach of the lease. 
SEC. 922. EXCLUSIVE VENUE FOR CERTAIN CIVIL ACTIONS 
RELATING TO COVERED ENERGY PROJECTS. 
Venue for any covered civil action shall lie in the dis-
trict court where the project or leases exist or are pro-
posed. 
SEC. 923. TIMELY FILING. 
To ensure timely redress by the courts, a covered civil 
action must be filed no later than the end of the 90-day 
period beginning on the date of the final Federal agency 
action to which it relates. 
SEC. 924. EXPEDITION IN HEARING AND DETERMINING THE 
ACTION. 
The court shall endeavor to hear and determine any 
covered civil action as expeditiously as possible. 
SEC. 925. STANDARD OF REVIEW. 
In any judicial review of a covered civil action, admin-
istrative findings and conclusions relating to the chal-
lenged Federal action or decision shall be presumed to be 
correct, and the presumption may be rebutted only by the 
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