[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 677 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                  Union Calendar No. 63
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 677

                          [Report No. 119-88]

  To establish a process to expedite the review of appeals of certain 
              decisions by the Department of the Interior.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2025

 Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

                              May 5, 2025

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 
                               23, 2025]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a process to expedite the review of appeals of certain 
              decisions by the Department of the Interior.


 


    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 ``Expedited Appeals Review Act'' or 
the ``EARA''.

SEC. 2. EXPEDITED REVIEWS.

    (a) Request for Expedited Review.--A party that files an appeal of 
a Department of the Interior decision described under section 4.1(b)(2) 
of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
regulations), with the Board of Land Appeals may submit to the Board of 
Land Appeals written notice of such party's intent to seek expedited 
review of the appeal. If a party submits such written notice, the Board 
of Land Appeals shall issue a final decision on the appeal by not later 
than the date that is 6 months after the date on which such written 
notice is received, except such deadline may not be earlier than the 
date that is 18 months after the date on which the appeal was initially 
filed with the Board of Land Appeals.
    (b) No Final Decision.--If the Board of Land Appeals does not issue 
a final decision on an appeal by the deadline described in subsection 
(a)--
            (1) the Department of the Interior decision is deemed to be 
        a final agency action for purposes of section 704 of title 5, 
        United States Code; and
            (2) notwithstanding section 706 of title 5, United States 
        Code, judicial review of such decision shall be de novo.
    (c) Applicability.--This section shall apply to any appeal 
described in subsection (a) that--
            (1) is pending before the Board of Land Appeals as of the 
        date of enactment of this Act; or
            (2) is filed with the Board of Land Appeals after the date 
        of enactment of this Act.
    (d) Conflict.--In the event of a conflict between the deadline 
described in subsection (a) and a deadline under section 115(h) of the 
Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1724(h)) 
or section 525(b) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 
1977 (30 U.S.C. 1275(b)), the deadline described in subsection (a) 
shall control.
                                                  Union Calendar No. 63

119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 677

                          [Report No. 119-88]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To establish a process to expedite the review of appeals of certain 
              decisions by the Department of the Interior.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 5, 2025

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed