I
118THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 1449
To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to increase the frequency
of lease sales, to require replacement sales, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH8, 2023
Mr. F
ULCHERintroduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to increase
the frequency of lease sales, to require replacement sales,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Committing Leases 4
for Energy Access Now Act’’ or the ‘‘CLEAN Act’’. 5
SEC. 2. GEOTHERMAL LEASING. 6
(a) A
NNUALLEASING.—Section 4(b) of the Geo-7
thermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1003(b)) is amend-8
ed— 9
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(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘2 years’’ and 1
inserting ‘‘year’’; 2
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 3
paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and 4
(3) after paragraph (2), by inserting the fol-5
lowing: 6
‘‘(3) R
EPLACEMENT SALES .—If a lease sale 7
under paragraph (1) for a year is canceled or de-8
layed, the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a 9
replacement sale during the same year. 10
‘‘(4) R
EQUIREMENT.—In conducting a lease 11
sale under paragraph (2) in a State described in 12
that paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall 13
offer all nominated parcels eligible for geothermal 14
development and utilization under the resource man-15
agement plan in effect for the State.’’. 16
(b) D
EADLINES FOR CONSIDERATION OF GEO-17
THERMALDRILLINGPERMITS.—Section 4 of the Geo-18
thermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1003) is amended 19
by adding at the end the following: 20
‘‘(h) D
EADLINES FOR CONSIDERATION OF GEO-21
THERMALDRILLINGPERMITS.— 22
‘‘(1) N
OTICE.—Not later than 30 days after the 23
date on which the Secretary receives an application 24
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for any geothermal drilling permit, the Secretary 1
shall— 2
‘‘(A) provide written notice to the appli-3
cant that the application is complete; or 4
‘‘(B) notify the applicant that information 5
is missing and specify any information that is 6
required to be submitted for the application to 7
be complete. 8
‘‘(2) I
SSUANCE OF DECISION.—If the Secretary 9
determines that an application for a geothermal 10
drilling permit is complete under paragraph (1)(A), 11
the Secretary shall issue a final decision on the ap-12
plication not later than 30 days after the Secretary 13
notifies the applicant that the application is com-14
plete.’’. 15
Æ
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