Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee markup and favorably reported eight bills. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"From the passage of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, to today's markup of eight bills, the House Committee on Natural Resources has remained committed to providing solutions for American communities and families across the country. Today, we advanced solutions that will unleash American energy production and streamline permitting issues for all-of-the-above energy projects on federal lands. We also passed bills to roll back Biden's anti-American policies and support the development of our national petroleum reserve. Global demand for energy is on the rise, and President Biden wants to look everywhere but here at home. As the Biden administration continues to lock up our abundant natural resources and turn to our most dangerous adversaries for help, Republicans are working tirelessly to restore our energy dominance and fight for struggling American families and the communities in which they live. Industries in this country drill, mine, build and innovate better than anywhere else. Today, we passed solutions to unlock a future where Americans have access to the cleanest and safest energy production on earth. I'd like to thank my colleagues for their work on these innovative solutions, and I look forward to ushering these bills through the House, Senate and ultimately into law."

Background

In total, the committee favorably reported eight bills:

H.R. 1449, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act or CLEAN Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), addresses geothermal leasing and permitting issues by amending the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to require the Secretary of the Interior to hold lease sales annually for geothermal energy. If a lease sale is missed for any reason, the bill would require that the secretary hold replacement sales during the same year. The bill would also require the secretary to respond to geothermal drilling permit applications within 30 days of receipt.

H.R. 5490, the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act or BEACH Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), gives congressional approval to modified Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CRBA) maps that update the CBRA system post-Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, the bill makes improvements to CBRA that make it more transparent and flexible.

H.R. 6009, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), would require the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a recently proposed Biden administration onshore oil and gas leasing rule that would significantly increase and create new fees for oil and gas production on federal lands, shutting down small businesses and driving up energy costs for American consumers. 

H.R. 6011, the Right of Way Application Transparency and Accountability Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), addresses a significant bottleneck in the permitting process for all of the above energy projects on federal lands by requiring that federal agencies notify right-of-way applicants if their application is complete within 90 days. At present, there is no such timetable for responding to right-of-way applications on federal lands.

H.R. 6233, the Community Reclamation Partnerships Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) would grant liability protection to third party organizations to participate in clean-up projects of inactive and abandoned coal mines. This bill creates a pathway for NGOs to contribute their resources towards reclamation and lessens the burden on states and taxpayers.

H.R. 6285, the Alaska's Right to Produce Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), will reverse two recent actions taken by the Biden administration by reinstating the previously issued Arctic National Wildlife Refuge leases as required by law and canceling the proposed National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska rule. 

H.R. 3250, the National Museum of Play Recognition Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), which would designate the National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

H.R. 3396, the Fire Department Repayment Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.), would require the Secretaries of Agriculture, the Interior, Homeland Security and Defense to establish standard operating procedures for payment timelines of fire suppression cost-sharing agreements.