American Energy First Act

Bill: 117-hr-4334
Sponsor: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1]
Introduced: 2021-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Alaska
Alternative and renewable resources
American Samoa
Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Aquaculture
Aquatic ecology
Archaeology and anthropology
Atlantic Ocean
Caribbean area
Congressional oversight
Department of the Interior
Endangered and threatened species
Energy revenues and royalties
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Georgia
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Guam
Gulf of Mexico
Historic sites and heritage areas
Indian lands and resources rights
Intergovernmental relations
Judicial review and appeals
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations
Mammals
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Military operations and strategy
Mining
Monuments and memorials
North Carolina
Northern Mariana Islands
Oil and gas
Pacific Ocean
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
State and local finance
State and local government operations
Strategic materials and reserves
Trade restrictions
U.S. territories and protectorates
User charges and fees
Virgin Islands
Virginia
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2021-07-01
text: 

American Energy First Act

 
This bill addresses the onshore and offshore production of traditional (e.g., oil and gas) and alternative (e.g., solar and wind) energy resources and establishes requirements for distributing revenues generated from energy production, including revenues to states and territories for conservation efforts. 
 
For example, the bill limits the President's authority to (1) withdraw areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from oil and gas leasing, and (2) declare new marine national monuments.
 
In addition, the Department of the Interior must obtain congressional approval before declaring a moratorium on issuing leases on federal lands or waters for oil, gas, or coal. Further, the bill requires Interior to defer to state regulations, guidance, and permit requirements for all activities regarding hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking) relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on federal land. Interior may delegate decisions about issuing oil and gas drill permits on federal land to states.
 
 Interior must also establish certain federal land as geothermal, solar, and wind energy leasing priority areas. The bill also allows Interior to conduct certain lease sales, such as offshore wind lease sales on the OCS in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to U.S. territories, and establishes requirements for distributing revenues from such leases to the Treasury, the Coral Reef Conservation Fund established by this bill, and U.S. territories.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-07-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
action_date: 2021-07-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
action_date: 2021-07-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2021-07-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-07-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2021-07-01
text: Introduced in House