Bureau of Land Management Mineral Spacing Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 1555 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1555 To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 25, 2025 Mrs. Bice introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, 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 ``Bureau of Land Management Mineral Spacing Act''. SEC. 2. ACCESS TO FEDERAL ENERGY RESOURCES FROM NON-FEDERAL SURFACE ESTATE. Section 17 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(r) No Federal Permit Required for Oil and Gas Activities on Certain Land.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall not require an operator to obtain a Federal drilling permit for oil and gas exploration and production activities conducted on non-Federal surface estate, provided that-- ``(A) the United States holds an ownership interest of less than 50 percent of the subsurface mineral estate to be accessed by the proposed action; and ``(B) the operator submits to the Secretary a State permit to conduct oil and gas exploration and production activities on the non-Federal surface estate. ``(2) No federal action.--An oil and gas exploration and production activity carried out under paragraph (1)-- ``(A) shall not be considered a major Federal action for the p