Title: Unleash American Drilling Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Unleash American Drilling Act
This bill requires the Department of Interior to issue decisions on applications for drilling permits associated with certain oil and gas leases within specified timeframes. If a decision is not made within the timeframe, the permit shall be considered issued.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8176 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8176

   To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the 
 Interior to issue decisions on applications for permits to drill that 
 have been frozen in contravention of the spirit of such Act, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2022

 Mr. Budd (for himself, Mr. Steube, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Rose, 
   Mr. Perry, Mr. Rouzer, Mrs. Spartz, and Mr. Biggs) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the 
 Interior to issue decisions on applications for permits to drill that 
 have been frozen in contravention of the spirit of such Act, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Unleash American Drilling Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE MINERAL LEASING ACT.

    Section 17(p) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(p)) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Deadline for decision on permits.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall issue a 
                decision on a permit not later than 90 days after the 
                applicant for a permit has submitted a complete 
                application if the Secretary--
                            ``(i) has not yet issued or deferred the 
                        permit under paragraph (2) within the 30-day 
                        period specified in such paragraph; or
                            ``(ii) has deferred the permit under 
                        paragraph (2)(B), and there are no steps the 
                        applicant is required to take for the permit to 
                        be issued pursuant to paragraph (2)(B)(i).
                    ``(B) Mandatory issuance.--If the Secretary does 
                not issue a decision under subparagraph (A) within the 
                90-day period specified in such subparagraph, the 
                permit shall be considered issued.''.

SEC. 3. BLM REPORT TO CONGRESS ON PERMITTING BACKLOG.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committees on 
Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report on the backlog of applications for permits to 
drill, including--
            (1) the extent of the backlog;
            (2) reasons for the backlog, including--
                    (A) limitations on resources; and
                    (B) statutory and administrative barriers to 
                clearing the backlog;
            (3) steps the Bureau of Land Management can take to clear 
        the backlog; and
            (4) recommendations to Congress for financial assistance or 
        statutory actions to help clear the backlog.
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