IB 
Union Calendar No. 452 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1503 
[Report No. 117–628, Part I] 
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to make certain adjustments in leasing 
on Federal lands for oil and gas drilling, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 2, 2021 
Mr. LEVIN of California (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. 
NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. LEE 
of California, Ms. PORTER, and Ms. BROWNLEY) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
DECEMBER 14, 2022 
Additional sponsors: Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. WELCH, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. 
DEGETTE, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. COHEN, and Mr. SOTO 
DECEMBER 14, 2022 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 14, 2022 
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 2, 2021] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to make certain adjust-
ments in leasing on Federal lands for oil and gas drilling, 
and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Restoring Community 
Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act 
of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. LEASING PROCESS. 
(a) ONSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING.—Section 17 of 
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(a)) is amended by 
striking the matter preceding ‘‘(a) All lands’’ and all that 
follows through the end of subsection (a) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 17. LEASING OF LAND CONTAINING OIL OR GAS DE-
POSITS. 
‘‘(a) LEASING AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—All lands subject to disposi-
tion under this Act that are known or believed to con-
tain oil or gas deposits may be leased by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(2) RECEIPT OF FAIR MARKET VALUE.—Leas-
ing activities under this Act shall be conducted to as-
sure receipt of fair market value for the lands and re-
sources leased and the rights conveyed by the United 
States.’’. 
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(b) COMPETITIVE BIDDING.—Section 17(b)(1) of the 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(1)(A)) is amended 
by striking all that precedes ‘‘(A) All lands’’ and all that 
follows through the end of subparagraph (A) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(b) BIDDING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) COMPETITIVE BIDDING.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—All lands to be 
leased under this section shall be leased as 
provided in this paragraph to the highest 
responsible qualified bidder by competitive 
bidding by sealed bid. 
‘‘(ii) GEOGRAPHIC
LIMITATION.—The 
Secretary shall lease lands under this para-
graph in units of not more than 2,560 
acres, except in Alaska, where units shall be 
not more than 5,760 acres. Such units shall 
be as nearly compact as possible. 
‘‘(iii) FREQUENCY.—Lease sales under 
this section shall be held for each State in 
which there are lands eligible for leasing no 
more than 3 times each year and on a ro-
tating basis such that the lands under the 
responsibility of any Bureau of Land Man-
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agement field office are available for leasing 
no more than one time each year. 
‘‘(iv) ROYALTY.—A lease under this 
section shall be conditioned upon the pay-
ment of a royalty at a rate of not less than 
18.75 percent in amount or value of the 
production removed or sold from the lease, 
except as otherwise provided in this Act. 
‘‘(v) ISSUANCE OF LEASE.—The Sec-
retary may issue a lease under this section 
to the responsible qualified bidder with the 
highest bid that is equal to or greater than 
the national minimum acceptable bid. The 
Secretary shall decide whether to accept a 
bid and issue a lease within 90 days fol-
lowing payment by the successful bidder of 
the remainder of the bonus bid, if any, and 
annual rental for the first lease year. 
‘‘(vi) REJECTION
OF
BID.—The Sec-
retary may reject a bid above the national 
minimum acceptable bid if, after evaluation 
of the value of the lands proposed for lease, 
the Secretary determines that the bid 
amount does not ensure that fair market 
value is obtained for the lease.’’. 
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(c) NATIONAL MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE BID.—Subpara-
graph (B) of section 17(b)(1) of the Mineral Leasing Act 
(30 U.S.C. 226(b)(1)), is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) 
NATIONAL
MINIMUM
ACCEPTABLE 
BID.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clause (ii), for purposes of subparagraph 
(A), the national minimum acceptable bid 
shall be $10 per acre. All bids under this 
section for less than the national minimum 
acceptable bid shall be rejected. 
‘‘(ii) RAISING THE NATIONAL MINIMUM 
ACCEPTABLE BID.—The Secretary may es-
tablish a higher national minimum accept-
able bid— 
‘‘(I) beginning at the end of the 4- 
year period that begins on the date of 
enactment of the Restoring Community 
Input and Public Protection in Oil 
and Gas Leasing Act of 2021, and once 
every 4 years thereafter, to reflect the 
change in the Consumer Price Index 
for All Urban Consumers published by 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and 
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‘‘(II) at any time, if the Secretary 
finds that such a higher amount is nec-
essary to enhance financial returns to 
the United States or to promote more 
efficient management of oil and gas re-
sources on Federal lands. 
‘‘(iii) NOT
A
MAJOR
FEDERAL
AC-
TION.—The proposal or issuance of any reg-
ulation to establish a higher national min-
imum acceptable bid under clause (ii) shall 
not be considered a major Federal action 
that is subject to the requirements of section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy 
Act 
of 
1969 
(42 
U.S.C. 
4332(2)(C)).’’. 
(d) RENTALS.—Section 17(d) of the Mineral Leasing 
Act (30 U.S.C. 226(d)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL RENTALS.—All leases issued under this 
section shall be conditioned upon the payment by the lessee 
of a rental of— 
‘‘(1) not less than $3.00 per acre per year during 
the 5-year period beginning on the date the lease be-
gins for new leases, and after the end of such 5 year 
period not less than $5 per acre per year; or 
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‘‘(2) such higher rental rate as the Secretary 
may establish if the Secretary finds that such action 
is necessary to enhance financial returns to the 
United States and promote more efficient manage-
ment of oil and gas and alternative energy resources 
on Federal lands.’’. 
(e) ELIMINATION OF NONCOMPETITIVE LEASING.—The 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 17(b) (30 U.S.C. 226(b)), by strik-
ing paragraph (3); 
(2) by amending section 17(c) (30 U.S.C. 226(c)) 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) LANDS FOR WHICH NO BID IS ACCEPTED.— 
Lands made available for leasing under subsection (b)(1) 
but for which no bid is accepted may be made available 
by the Secretary for a new round of sealed bidding under 
such subsection.’’; 
(3) in section 17(e) (30 U.S.C. 226(e))— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Competitive and non-
competitive leases’’ and inserting ‘‘Leases, in-
cluding leases for tar sand areas,’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Provided, however’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘ten years.’’; 
(4) in section 31(d)(1) (30 U.S.C. 188(d)(1)) by 
striking ‘‘or section 17(c)’’; 
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(5) in section 31(e) (30 U.S.C. 188(e))— 
(A) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘, or the 
inclusion’’ and all that follows and inserting a 
semicolon; and 
(B) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘(A)’’ and 
by striking subparagraph (B); 
(6) by striking section 31(f) (30 U.S.C. 188(f)); 
and 
(7) in section 31(g) (30 U.S.C. 188(g))— 
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘as a 
competitive’’ and all that follows through the pe-
riod and inserting ‘‘in the same manner as the 
original lease issued pursuant to section 17.’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and redesig-
nating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
(2) and (3), respectively; and 
(C) in paragraph (2), as redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘, applicable to leases issued under sub-
section 17(c) of this Act (30 U.S.C. 226(c)) ex-
cept,’’ and inserting ‘‘, except’’. 
(f) LEASE TERM.—Section 17(e) of the Mineral Leas-
ing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘10 
years:’’ and inserting ‘‘5 years.’’. 
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(g) OTHER LEASING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 17(g) 
of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(g)), as amended 
by section 8 of this Act, is further amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(g) The Secretary of the Inte-
rior’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(g) OTHER LEASING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not issue 
a lease or approve the assignment of any lease to any 
person, or to any subsidiary or affiliate of such per-
son or any other person controlled by or under com-
mon control with such person, unless such person has 
the demonstrated capability to explore and produce 
oil and gas under the lease. 
‘‘(3) PROTECTION OF LEASED LANDS FOR OTHER 
USES.—Each lease under this section shall include 
such terms as are necessary to preserve the United 
States flexibility to control or prohibit activities that 
pose serious and unacceptable impacts to the value of 
the leased lands for uses other than production of oil 
and gas.’’. 
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SEC. 3. TRANSPARENCY AND LANDOWNER PROTECTIONS. 
(a) DISCLOSURE OF IDENTITIES FILING DISCLOSURES 
OF INTEREST AND BIDS.—Section 17(b) of the Mineral 
Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)), as amended by this Act, 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) BIDDER IDENTITY.—The Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall require that each expression of 
interest to bid for a lease under this section and 
each bid for a lease under this section shall in-
clude the name of the person for whom such ex-
pression of interest or bid is submitted; and 
‘‘(B) shall promptly publish each such 
name.’’. 
(b) NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.—Section 17(f) of the 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(f)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘(f) At least’’ and all that follows through ‘‘agen-
cies.’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(f) REQUIREMENTS PRIOR TO OFFERING LANDS FOR 
LEASE.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIRED NOTICE.—At least 45 days before 
offering lands for lease under this section, and at least 
30 days before approving applications for permits to 
drill under the provisions of a lease, modifying the 
terms of any lease issued under this section, or grant-
ing a waiver, exception, or modification of any stipu-
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lation of a lease issued under this section, the Sec-
retary shall provide notice of the proposed action to— 
‘‘(A) the general public by posting such no-
tice in the appropriate local office and on the 
electronic website of the leasing and land man-
agement agencies offering the lands for lease; 
‘‘(B) all surface land owners in the area of 
the lands being offered for lease; and 
‘‘(C) the holders of special recreation per-
mits for commercial use, competitive events, and 
other organized activities on the lands being of-
fered for lease. 
‘‘(2) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—’’. 
(c) SURFACE OWNER PROTECTION.—Section 17 of the 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226), is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(r) POST-LEASE SURFACE USE AGREEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Secretary may not authorize any oper-
ator to conduct exploration and drilling operations on 
lands with respect to which title to oil and gas re-
sources is held by the United States but title to the 
surface estate is not held by the United States, until 
the operator has filed with the Secretary a document, 
signed by the operator and the surface owner or own-
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ers, showing that the operator has secured a written 
surface use agreement between the operator and the 
surface owner or owners that meets the requirements 
of subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The surface use agreement 
shall provide for— 
‘‘(A) the use of only such portion of the sur-
face estate as is reasonably necessary for explo-
ration and drilling operations based on site-spe-
cific conditions; 
‘‘(B) the accommodation of the surface es-
tate owner to the maximum extent practicable, 
including the location, use, timing, and type of 
exploration and drilling operations, consistent 
with the operator’s right to develop the oil and 
gas estate; 
‘‘(C) the reclamation of the site to a condi-
tion capable of supporting the uses which such 
lands were capable of supporting prior to explo-
ration and drilling operations; and 
‘‘(D) compensation for damages as a result 
of exploration and drilling operations, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) loss of income and increased costs 
incurred; 
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‘‘(ii) damage to or destruction of per-
sonal property, including crops, forage, and 
livestock; and 
‘‘(iii) failure to reclaim the site in ac-
cordance with clause (iii). 
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZED EXPLORATION AND DRILLING 
OPERATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) AUTHORIZATION
WITHOUT
SURFACE 
USE AGREEMENT.—The Secretary may authorize 
an operator to conduct exploration and drilling 
operations on lands covered by paragraph (1) in 
the absence of an agreement with the surface es-
tate owner or owners, if— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary makes a determina-
tion in writing that the operator made a 
good faith attempt to conclude such an 
agreement, including referral of the matter 
to arbitration pursuant to paragraph 
(1)(C), but that no agreement was con-
cluded within 90 days after the referral to 
arbitration; 
‘‘(ii) the operator submits a plan of 
operations that provides for the matters 
specified in paragraph (1)(B) and for com-
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pliance with all other applicable require-
ments of Federal and State law; and 
‘‘(iii) the operator posts a bond or 
other financial assurance in an amount the 
Secretary determines to be adequate to en-
sure compensation to the surface estate 
owner for any damages to the site, in the 
form of a surety bond, trust fund, letter of 
credit, government security, certificate of 
deposit, cash, or equivalent. 
‘‘(B) SURFACE
OWNER
PARTICIPATION.— 
The Secretary shall provide surface estate owners 
with an opportunity to— 
‘‘(i) comment on plans of operations in 
advance of a determination of compliance 
with this Act; 
‘‘(ii) participate in bond level deter-
minations and bond release proceedings 
under this section; 
‘‘(iii) attend an on-site inspection dur-
ing such determinations and proceedings; 
‘‘(iv) file written objections to a pro-
posed bond release; and 
‘‘(v) request and participate in an on- 
site inspection when they have reason to be-
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lieve there is a violation of the terms and 
conditions of a plan of operations. 
‘‘(C) 
PAYMENT
OF
FINANCIAL
GUAR-
ANTEE.—A surface estate owner with respect to 
any land subject to a lease may petition the Sec-
retary for payment of all or any portion of a 
bond or other financial assurance required under 
this section as compensation for any damages as 
a result of exploration and drilling operations. 
Pursuant to such a petition, the Secretary may 
use such bond or other guarantee to provide com-
pensation to the surface estate owner for such 
damages. 
‘‘(D) BOND RELEASE.—Upon request and 
after inspection and opportunity for surface es-
tate owner review, the Secretary may release the 
financial assurance required under this section if 
the Secretary determines that exploration and 
drilling operations are ended and all damages 
have been fully compensated. 
‘‘(4) SURFACE OWNER NOTIFICATION.—The Sec-
retary shall notify surface estate owners in writing— 
‘‘(A) not less than 45 days before lease sales; 
‘‘(B) of the identity of the lessee, not more 
than 10 business days after a lease is issued; 
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‘‘(C) concerning any subsequent request or 
decision regarding a lease not more than 5 busi-
ness days after such request or decision, includ-
ing regarding modification of a lease, waiver of 
a stipulation, or approval of a right of way; and 
‘‘(D) not more than 5 business days after 
issuance of a drilling permit under a lease.’’. 
SEC. 4. LEASE STIPULATIONS. 
(a) 
ENERGY
POLICY
ACT
OF
2005.—Section 
363(b)(3)(C) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
15922(b)(3)(C)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(C) adequately protective of the resource 
for which the stipulations are applied;’’. 
(b) REVISION OF EXISTING MEMORANDUM.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall revise the memorandum of understanding 
under section 363(b)(3)(C) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(42 U.S.C. 15922) in accordance with the amendment made 
by subsection (a). 
SEC. 5. PARCEL REVIEW. 
Section 17(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(a)), as amended by section 2 of this Act, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(3) PARCEL REVIEW.—The Secretary shall issue 
oil and gas leases under this Act only in accordance 
with subsections C through I of section III of Bureau 
of Land Management Instruction Memorandum No. 
2010–117, dated May 17, 2010, as in effect on April 
24, 2017.’’. 
SEC. 6. ACREAGE LIMITATIONS. 
Section 27(d)(1) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
184(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘, and acreage under any 
lease any portion of which has been committed to a federally 
approved unit or cooperative plan or communitization 
agreement or for which royalty (including compensatory 
royalty or royalty in-kind) was paid in the preceding cal-
endar year,’’. 
SEC. 7. LAND MANAGEMENT. 
Section 17(g) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(g)), as amended by section 2(g) of this Act, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) MULTIPLE-USE
MANAGEMENT.—The Sec-
retary, and for National Forest lands, the Secretary 
of Agriculture, shall manage lands that are subject to 
an oil and gas lease under this Act in accordance 
with the principles, policies, and requirements relat-
ing to multiple use under the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 
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seq.), until the beginning of operations on such 
lease.’’. 
SEC. 8. TRANSPARENCY IN MANAGEMENT OF LEASES. 
Section 17(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(a)), as amended by sections 2 and 5 of this Act, is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) 
TRANSPARENCY
IN
MANAGEMENT
OF 
LEASES.—For each lease under this section, the Sec-
retary shall make available on a public website— 
‘‘(A) the identity of— 
‘‘(i) each person who is or has been a 
lessee under the lease; and 
‘‘(ii) each person who is or has been an 
operator under the lease; 
‘‘(B) notice of each transfer of the lease; and 
‘‘(C) notice of each suspension of operations, 
each suspension of production, and each suspen-
sion of operations and production.’’. 
SEC. 9. LEASE CANCELLATION FOR IMPROPER ISSUANCE. 
Section 31(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
188(b)) is amended by inserting ‘‘if the lease was improp-
erly issued or’’ after ‘‘30 days notice’’. 
SEC. 10. FEES FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall charge any per-
son who submits an expression of interest, as that term is 
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defined by the Secretary, a fee, in an amount determined 
by the Secretary under paragraph (2). 
(b) AMOUNT.—The fee authorized under paragraph (1) 
shall be established by the Secretary in an amount that is 
determined by the Secretary to be appropriate to cover the 
aggregate cost of processing an expression of interest under 
this section, but not less than $15 per acre of the area cov-
ered by the applicable expression of interest. 
(c) ADJUSTMENT OF FEES.—The Secretary shall, by 
regulation at least every 4 years, establish a higher expres-
sion of interest fee— 
(1) to reflect the change in the Consumer Price 
Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics; and 
(2) as the Secretary determines to be necessary 
to enhance financial returns to the United States or 
to promote more efficient management of oil and gas 
resources on Federal land. 
SEC. 11. PROTECTION OF WATER RESOURCES. 
(a) MINERAL LEASING ACT REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
17 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (g) by striking ‘‘lands or sur-
face waters adversely’’ and inserting ‘‘surface or 
ground waters or lands adversely’’; 
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(2) by redesignating subsection (p) as subsection 
(q); and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (o) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(p) WATER REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) An operator producing oil or gas (including 
coalbed methane) under a lease issued under this Act 
shall— 
‘‘(A) replace the water supply of a water 
user who obtains all or part of such user’s sup-
ply of water from an underground or surface 
source that has been affected by contamination, 
diminution, or interruption proximately result-
ing from drilling, fracking, or production oper-
ations for such production; 
‘‘(B) ensure that if a surface or ground 
water source is affected by contamination, dimi-
nution, or interruption proximately resulting 
from such production, best management practices 
and appropriately available technologies are 
used to prevent, to the maximum extent possible, 
the long-term or permanent degradation of the 
surface or ground water source; and 
‘‘(C) comply with all applicable require-
ments of Federal and State law with respect to— 
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‘‘(i) discharge of any water produced 
under the lease; and 
‘‘(ii) activities that would divert or 
otherwise alter a surface or ground water 
source or lead to a discharge not covered by 
clause (i). 
‘‘(2) An application for a permit to drill under 
a lease under this Act shall be accompanied by a pro-
posed water management plan including provisions 
to— 
‘‘(A) protect the quantity and quality of 
surface and ground water systems, both on-site 
and off-site, from adverse effects of the explo-
ration, development, and reclamation processes 
or to provide alternative sources of water if such 
protection cannot be assured; 
‘‘(B) protect the rights of present users of 
water that would be affected by operations under 
the lease, including the discharge of any water 
produced in connection with such operations that 
is not reinjected; and 
‘‘(C) identify any agreements with other 
parties for the beneficial use of produced waters 
and the steps that will be taken to comply with 
State and Federal laws related to such use. 
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‘‘(3) The Secretary may not approve an applica-
tion if the Secretary determines that the applicant 
did not submit a water management plan that meets 
the requirements described in paragraph (2).’’. 
(b) RELATION TO STATE LAW.—Nothing in this sec-
tion or any amendment made by this section shall be con-
strued as— 
(1) impairing or in any manner affecting any 
right or jurisdiction of any State with respect to the 
waters of such State; or 
(2) limiting, altering, modifying, or amending 
any of the interstate compacts or equitable apportion-
ment decrees that apportion water among and be-
tween States. 
SEC. 12. FRACKING REGULATION ON FEDERAL LANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, act-
ing through the Bureau of Land Management, shall issue 
regulations governing the use of hydraulic fracturing under 
oil and gas leases for Federal lands. 
(b) INCLUDED PROVISIONS.—The regulations under 
this section shall require— 
(1) baseline water testing, the results of which 
shall be posted on an appropriate internet website; 
and 
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(2) public disclosure of each chemical used for 
hydraulic fracturing on an appropriate internet 
website. 
(c) INTERIM APPLICATION OF PRIOR RULE.—The final 
rule entitled ‘‘Oil and Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing on Fed-
eral and Indian Lands’’, as published in the Federal Reg-
ister March 26, 2015 (80 Fed. Reg. 16128), and corrected 
by the rule published on March 30, 2015 (80 Fed. Reg. 
16577), shall apply until the effective date of a final rule 
under subsection (a). 
SEC. 13. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS. 
Any environmental analysis pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) required 
under this Act shall include the estimated total cost of pre-
paring the environmental analysis, including full-time 
equivalent personnel hours, contractor costs, and other di-
rect costs. 
SEC. 14. TAXPAYER FUNDING STEWARDSHIP. 
In an effort to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars 
and conscientious of the demands placed upon public serv-
ants, no provisions contained within this Act shall require 
a duplication of analysis by any government agency, indi-
vidual, or contractor, at any level including federal, state, 
local, or tribal and, if so determined, such provision shall 
be considered non-binding. 
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Union Calendar No. 452 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1503 
[Report No. 117–628, Part I] 
A BILL 
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to make certain 
adjustments in leasing on Federal lands for oil 
and gas drilling, and for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 14, 2022 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
an amendment 
DECEMBER 14, 2022 
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the 
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
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