[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7422 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7422

  To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to provide cost-recovery 
             authority for the Department of the Interior.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 20, 2024

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Natural Resources

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                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to provide cost-recovery 
             authority for the Department of the Interior.

    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 ``Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority 
Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. COST RECOVERY FROM GEOTHERMAL LEASING, PERMITTING, AND 
              INSPECTIONS.

    Section 6 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1005) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Cost Recovery.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may require an applicant 
        for, or a holder of, a geothermal lease to reimburse the United 
        States for all reasonable administrative and other costs 
        incurred by the United States from--
                    ``(A) processing the application for the geothermal 
                lease, including any application for an operations 
                plan, geothermal drilling permit, utilization plan, 
                site license, facility construction permit, commercial 
                use permit, and any other approval associated with a 
                geothermal lease; and
                    ``(B) inspecting and monitoring--
                            ``(i) geophysical exploration activities;
                            ``(ii) the drilling, plugging, and 
                        abandonment of wells; and
                            ``(iii) the construction, operation, 
                        termination, and reclamation of any well site 
                        or facility for the utilization of geothermal 
                        resources pursuant to the geothermal lease.
            ``(2) Considerations.--In determining whether to require 
        reimbursement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider 
        whether there is in existence a cooperative cost share 
        agreement between the United States and the holder of a 
        geothermal lease.''.
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