[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 535 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 125
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 535
[Report No. 118-53]
To streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee
ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 27, 2023
Mr. Hoeven (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Daines)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
July 11, 2023
Reported by Mr. Manchin, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee
ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, 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 ``Bureau of Land Management Mineral
Spacing Act''.
SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH BLM PERMITTING.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.
181 et seq.), the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982
(30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), or subpart 3162 of title 43, Code of Federal
Regulations (or successor regulations), but subject to any State or
Tribal requirements and subsection (c), the Secretary of the Interior
shall not require a permit to drill for an oil and gas lease under the
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) for an action occurring
within an oil and gas drilling or spacing unit if--
(1) less than 50 percent of the minerals within the oil and
gas drilling or spacing unit are minerals owned by the Federal
Government; and
(2) the Federal Government does not own or lease the
surface estate within the area directly impacted by the action.
(b) Notification.--For each State permit to drill or drilling plan
that would impact or extract oil and gas owned by the Federal
Government--
(1) each lessee, or designee of a lessee, shall--
(A) notify the Secretary of the Interior of the
submission of a State application for a permit to drill
or drilling plan on submission of the application; and
(B) provide a copy of the application described in
subparagraph (A) to the Secretary of the Interior not
later than 5 days after the date on which the permit or
plan is submitted; and
(2) each lessee, designee of a lessee, or applicable State
shall notify the Secretary of the Interior of the approved
State permit to drill or drilling plan not later than 45 days
after the date on which the permit or plan is approved.
(c) Nonapplicability to Indian Lands.--Subsection (a) shall not
apply to Indian lands (as defined in section 3 of the Federal Oil and
Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1702)).
(d) Effect.--Nothing in this section affects--
(1) other authorities of the Secretary of the Interior
under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982
(30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or
(2) the amount of royalties due to the Federal Government
from the production of the Federal minerals within the oil and
gas drilling or spacing unit.
Calendar No. 125
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 535
[Report No. 118-53]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee
ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 11, 2023
Reported without amendment