[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2151 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2151

 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.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 16, 2017

  Mr. Hoeven introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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                                 A BILL


 
 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. COMPLIANCE WITH BLM PERMITTING.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law but 
subject to any State requirements, a Bureau of Land Management drilling 
permit shall not be required under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty 
Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or section 3164.1 of 
title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), for 
an action occurring within an oil and gas drilling or spacing unit if--
            (1) less than 50 percent of the minerals within the oil and 
        gas drilling or spacing unit are minerals owned by the Federal 
        Government; and
            (2) the Federal Government does not own or lease the 
        surface estate within the boundaries of the oil and gas 
        drilling or spacing unit.
    (b) Effect.--Nothing in this Act affects the right of the Federal 
Government to receive royalties due to the Federal Government from the 
production of the Federal minerals within the oil and gas drilling or 
spacing unit.
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