House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) and U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) introduced the Transparency, Accountability, Permitting and Production of (TAPP) American Resources Act.

"We've spent the past few years listening to Americans from coast to coast, gathering information, and learning more about how our federal policies impact communities across the country," Westerman said. "This legislation is a direct result of those conversations, and it implements a host of solutions that will lift communities out of energy poverty. The Biden administration has demonized American industries and put our own interests last on the global stage for far too long, despite the fact that no one in the world has safer, cleaner and more responsible ways to access natural resources than we do. The TAPP American Resources Act will unleash energy production, deal a much-needed blow to China's mineral stranglehold, bring long-needed changes to our permitting processes, and allow a variety of sectors to do what America does best: innovate. I'm proud to support these science-based, community-led solutions, and look forward to bringing the bill to markup in our committee this week."

"President Biden is doubling down on radical climate policies that ignore the reality of the world’s current energy needs and embolden our adversaries," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said. "We’ve seen the future of Democrats’ reckless Green New Deal policies play out in Europe with skyrocketing energy costs. By eliminating burdensome permitting requirements, the TAPP American Resources Act will unleash American energy and mineral production, create good-paying jobs, and lower costs for hardworking families. House Republicans are committed to pursuing an all-of-the-above energy strategy that gives American families access to affordable, reliable energy. I applaud Chairman Westerman and the committee for their work to restore America’s energy independence and for including the BREEZE Act, legislation I introduced to ensure coastal states have parity with interior states when it comes to offshore revenue sharing, in the bill introduced today."

"The House Republican Majority is keeping its promise," Stauber said. "Today, I joined Chairman Westerman and Rep. Graves in introducing the Transparency, Accountability, Permitting, and Production (TAPP) American Resources Act, which includes my bill, the Permitting for Mining Needs (PERMIT-MN) Act. When passed, the bill will limit frivolous litigation against much-needed mining, energy, and infrastructure projects, encourage American miners to mine and American energy producers to produce, and allow for building projects like transmission lines, which are needed for our energy grid. No longer should America be reliant on China when we have the greatest resources and workforce in the world. Let’s pass the TAPP American Resources Act, secure our domestic supply chains, and restore American energy dominance."

“Why are more and more Americans unable to afford groceries, utility bills, refueling cars and other necessities?" Graves said. "Why are we dependent on other countries that hate America for the same products and resources that we have right here in America? This bill works to address these problems and more. We spent the past two years committing to the American people that we would bring solutions to the table – today we’re delivering. We have the opportunity to help folks and address these critical problems plaguing our communities. It’s up to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us or explain why they oppose more domestic energy production, more jobs, more traffic solutions, and more resilient communities."

Background

The Energy Information Administration predicts a 50 percent increase in global energy consumption by 2050, while global demand for critical minerals necessary for defense, smartphones and renewable energy technology is increasing exponentially. Domestic energy and mining is the best way to support the energy needs of American families and meet our technological and national security needs both now and into the future. 

The TAPP American Resources Act incentivizes a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that fixes broken systems and clears permitting logjams. Key legislative provisions include:

• Requires the Department of the Interior (DOI) to follow the law and immediately resume quarterly lease sales on federal lands, and requires a minimum of four lease sales per year in onshore states with eligible lands.
• Requires the publication of the 2023-2028 plan for offshore oil and gas lease sales and sets deadlines for publishing future five-year plans.
• Repeals harmful royalties and fee increases imposed on energy production.
• Ensures parity in energy revenue sharing for states with onshore and offshore energy development.
• Requires DOI to publish information online and report to Congress regarding the processing of onshore and offshore drilling and exploration permits, nominated parcels for lease, leases won, and usage of Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) fees. 
• Requires DOI to process APDs under a valid existing lease, regardless of any unrelated civil action.
• Ends the existing moratorium on new coal leasing.
• Reforms the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to streamline federal permitting for all sectors of the economy. 
• Requires that certain low-impact activities and activities in previously studied areas on public lands are not major federal actions under NEPA. This applies to all kinds of energy projects and includes activities such as geotechnical investigations, transmission infrastructure upgrades, off-road vehicle use in existing rights-of-way, meteorological towers, and geothermal exploratory wells.
• Allows the Secretary of the Interior to accept non-federal funding to pay for dedicated staff and technology upgrades to expedite permits.
• Clarifies that environmental reviews for lease sales should be limited to impacts directly related to that sale.
• Imposes a 120-day deadline on filing litigation on final agency actions concerning energy and mining projects, and a 120-day deadline to file a claim on any final agency action subject to NEPA.
• Sets deadlines for completion of NEPA review at one year for environmental assessments and two years for environmental impact statements, unless a deadline extension is agreed to by the project sponsor.
• Amends existing criteria to prevent the unilateral exclusion of uranium from future consideration as a critical mineral.