This bill nullifies two presidential memoranda that were published on January 6, 2025, including (1) the Memorandum on the Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Natural Gas Leasing, relating to the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); and (2) the Memorandum on the Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Natural Gas Leasing, relating to the Bering Sea areas of the OCS. The memoranda prohibited the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing offshore leases for the exploration, development, or production (i.e., offshore drilling) of oil or natural gas in those areas.This bill reverses the withdrawal to allow BOEM to issue leases in those areas.
Overturn Biden’s Offshore Energy Ban ActThis bill nullifies two presidential memoranda that were published on January 6, 2025, including (1) the Memorandum on the Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Natural Gas Leasing, relating to the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); and (2) the Memorandum on the Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Natural Gas Leasing, relating to the Bering Sea areas of the OCS. The memoranda prohibited the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing offshore leases for the exploration, development, or production (i.e., offshore drilling) of oil or natural gas in those areas.This bill reverses the withdrawal to allow BOEM to issue leases in those areas.
Strategic Production Response Act This bill limits the drawdown of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production.
An Act to Establish Additional Requirements Related to the Sale or Lease of Net Energy Billing Interests and Solar Energy Equipment
Proposed 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: opposition.
Acre In, Acre Out Act This bill prescribes a new requirement for any acquisition of land by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture that would result in a net increase of total land acreage under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Forest Service. The department concerned must offer for sale an equal number of acres of federal land that is under the same jurisdictional status. The bill exempts from this requirement any easements acquired to facilitate management of federal lands. Land sold pursuant to this bill shall be offered for sale at fair market value (based on local comparable sales), with monthly price reductions if the land is not sold in six months. All net proceeds from the sale of federal lands pursuant to this bill shall be deposited directly into the Treasury for reduction of the public debt.
Strategic Production Response and Implementation ActThis bill modifies the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prohibit the Department of Energy (DOE) from drawing down petroleum products in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until DOE develops and implements a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production. The increase must be equal to the percentage of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that is to be drawn down. However, the bill does not apply to a drawdown of petroleum products in the case of a severe energy supply interruption, which is permitted under current law. The plan must not provide for a total increase in the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production in excess of 10%.
No Subsidies for Wealthy Universities ActThis bill limits the indirect costs that are allowable under federal research awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) with endowments above specified thresholds. (Generally, indirect costs represent expenses that are not specific to a research project but are needed to maintain the infrastructure and administrative support for federally funded research.)Specifically, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) must annually collect information regarding the endowments of each IHE that has entered into a program participation agreement with the Department of Education.With this collected information, NCES must identify and make lists of (1) each IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, and (2) each IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion). NCES must submit these lists to the Office of Management and Budget, which must then distribute the lists to federal agencies, Congress, and the public.The bill establishes the following limits on the indirect costs allowable under federal research awards:for an IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, the IHE is prohibited from using these awards for indirect costs;for an IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion), the IHE is limited to an indirect cost rate of 8%; andfor all other IHEs, an indirect cost rate of 15%.The Government Accountability Office must annually report to Congress on indirect cost reimbursement on federal research awards for IHEs.
Federal Land Freedom Act This bill sets forth a process that allows a state (including the District of Columbia) to seek to transfer the responsibility of energy development on available federal land within its boundaries from the federal government to the state. Available federal land does not include land that, as of May 31, 2013, is (1) held for the benefit of an Indian tribe, (2) in the National Park System, (3) in the National Wildlife Refuge System, or (4) in a congressionally designated wilderness area. To qualify for such a transfer of responsibility, a state must have a program that regulates the exploration and development of oil, natural gas, and other forms of energy on its land. The federal responsibility transfers to the state once the state submits to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Energy a declaration that it has such a program and that it seeks to transfer the responsibility. Any action taken by a state to lease, permit, or regulate the exploration and development of energy on federal land in lieu of the federal government is not subject to the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, or the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
Administrative procedure: other; references to the Gulf of Mexico; require to be the Gulf of America. Creates new act.