[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1217 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1217
To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to address measuring methane
emissions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 11, 2025
Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Deluzio) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to address measuring methane
emissions, 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 ``Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. PRE-PLUGGING METHANE EMISSIONS FOR GRANT ELIGIBILITY.
Section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(2), by adding at the end the
following:
``(C) Activities not required.--Nothing in this
section requires a State to measure methane emissions
or conduct other activities described in subparagraph
(A), which are activities a State may conduct but is
not required to conduct, as a condition of eligibility
for a grant under this subsection.''; and
(2) in subsection (f)(2), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, which may include estimates
derived from pre-plugging or post-plugging monitoring data that
States may, but are not required to, collect using funding from
grants awarded under this section,'' after ``estimate''.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMIES STUDY ON COMMUNITY IMPACT OF ORPHANED WELL
GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall--
(1) seek to enter into an agreement with the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
shall carry out a study on the effect of the plugging and
remediation activity conducted under section 349 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) on economic development,
housing trends, and other potential benefits (such as
improvements in water quality) in areas where the plugging and
remediation activity conducted under that section reclaimed a
high number of sites, as determined by the National Academies
of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and
(2) to the maximum extent practicable, provide the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine with
information necessary to carry out the study described in
paragraph (1).
(b) Key Inputs.--The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine shall ensure that at least 1 State from each region of the
United States (Northeast, Southwest, West, Southeast, and Midwest)
shall be key inputs to the study carried out under subsection (a).
(c) Consultation.--In carrying out the study under subsection (a),
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall
consult with--
(1) the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with
respect to--
(A) how the plugging and remediation activity
conducted under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) has affected economic
development and housing trends; and
(B) how data on locations of plugging and
remediation priorities from the Department of the
Interior may be valuable to the Department of Housing
and Urban Development;
(2) the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, to
provide data required to carry out the study under subsection
(a); and
(3) other Federal agencies, as determined by the Secretary
of the Interior, in consultation with the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date on which the
last grant is awarded under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907), the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine shall submit to Congress a report detailing
the findings of the study carried out under subsection (a).
(e) Use of Existing Funds.--This section shall be carried out using
amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary of the Interior.
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