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This bill changes how the government handles “expressions of interest” for oil and gas leases on federal land. In simple terms, it sets clearer rules for when a fee must be paid, who pays it, and how long an expression of interest stays active. If land is put up for lease and no one bids, the fee would be charged to the person who first asked for the land to be leased. If the land does receive a winning bid, the fee would be charged to the winning bidder instead. The bill also says an expression of interest would stay valid for at least five years, unless the land is actually offered at a lease sale.
- If land is offered for lease but gets no bids, the first person who filed the expression of interest would be responsible for the fee.
- If the land gets a successful bid at the lease sale, the winning bidder would pay the fee.
- The bill updates lease payment rules so the fee for the expression of interest can be collected along with other amounts due when a lease is issued.
- An expression of interest would remain active for at least five years unless the land is put up for sale sooner.
Official Summaries
Expression of Interest Sensibility Act
This bill limits when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) may charge a fee for an expression of interest, which is an informal nomination to request that certain federal land be included in a lease sale for the exploration for, and development of, oil or gas.
The bill requires the BLM to charge a fee to a successful bidder when the agency offers the nominated land for sale. If the land covered by an expression of interest does not receive bids during the lease sale, the BLM must charge a fee to the person that submitted the first expression of interest for the land. Thus, the BLM may not charge fees when the land is not made available for a lease sale. (Currently, the BLM charges a fee when a person submits an expression of interest in leasing land, and the fee must be paid even if the land is not offered for sale.)
The bill also requires an expression of interest to remain active for a term of at least five years unless the land covered by the expression of interest is offered at a lease sale.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 678 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 678
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to improve the assessment of
expression of interest fees, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 23, 2025
Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to improve the assessment of
expression of interest fees, 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 ``Expression of Interest Sensibility
Act''.
SEC. 2. FEE FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST.
(a) Deadline To Issue Lease.--Section 17(b)(1)(A) of the Mineral
Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ``the
remainder of the bonus bid, if any,'' and inserting ``, as applicable,
the remainder of the bonus bid, the fee for the expression of interest
under subsection (q)(2)(B),''.
(b) Expressions of Interest.--Section 17(q) of the Mineral Leasing
Act (30 U.S.C. 226(q)) is amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``Fee for'';
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
(3) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) Submission of expression of interest.--A person may,
in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary to
carry out this subsection, submit an expression of interest in
leasing land available for disposition under this section for
exploration for, and development of, oil or gas.
``(2) Assessment of fees.--
``(A) No bid.--If land covered by an expression of
interest submitted under paragraph (1) is offered at a
lease sale and no bid is received for such land, the
Secretary shall assess at the time of the sale a fee
for the expression of interest against the person that
submitted the first expression of interest for the
land.
``(B) Successful bid.--If land covered by an
expression of interest submitted under paragraph (1)
receives a successful bid at a lease sale, the
Secretary shall assess a fee for the expression of
interest against the successful bidder.'';
(4) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking
``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``paragraph (2)''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Term.--An expression of interest submitted under this
section shall remain active for a term of not less than 5 years
unless the land covered by the expression of interest is
offered at a lease sale.''.
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