[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1687 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 571
119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 1687

                          [Report No. 119-657]

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

                           February 27, 2025

 Mr. Fulcher (for himself, Ms. Maloy, and Ms. Boebert) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

                              May 20, 2026

         Additional sponsors: Ms. Lee of Nevada and Mr. Begich

                              May 20, 2026

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           February 27, 2025]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Committing Leases for Energy Access 
Now Act'' or the ``CLEAN Act''.

SEC. 2. GEOTHERMAL LEASING.

    (a) Annual Leasing.--Section 4(b) of the Geothermal Steam Act of 
1970 (30 U.S.C. 1003(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``2 years'' and inserting 
        ``year'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
        (5) and (6), respectively; and
            (3) after paragraph (2), by inserting the following:
            ``(3) Replacement sales.--If a lease sale under paragraph 
        (1) for a year is canceled or delayed, the Secretary of the 
        Interior shall conduct a replacement sale during the same year.
            ``(4) Requirement.--Of the nominated parcels eligible for 
        geothermal development and utilization under the resource 
        management plan in effect for the State, the Secretary shall, 
        in conducting a lease sale under paragraph (2), offer for 
        lease--
                    ``(A) 75 percent of such nominated parcels; and
                    ``(B) the remaining 25 percent of such nominated 
                parcels, unless the Secretary provides a written 
                justification that identifies a statutory, 
                environmental, or administrative basis that prevents 
                the Secretary from offering such nominated parcels for 
                lease.''.
    (b) Deadlines for Consideration of Geothermal Drilling Permits.--
Section 4 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1003) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Deadlines for Consideration of Geothermal Drilling Permits.--
            ``(1) Notice.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
        which the Secretary receives an application for any geothermal 
        drilling permit, the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) provide written notice to the applicant that 
                the application is complete; or
                    ``(B) notify the applicant that information is 
                missing and specify any information that is required to 
                be submitted for the application to be complete.
            ``(2) Issuance or deferral.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the 
                Secretary has provided written notice to an applicant 
                for a geothermal drilling permit that the application 
                for such permit is complete pursuant to paragraph 
                (1)(A), the Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) issue the permit, if the requirements 
                        under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
                        1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other 
                        applicable law have been completed within such 
                        timeframe; or
                            ``(ii) defer the decision on the permit and 
                        provide to the applicant a notice--
                                    ``(I) that specifies any steps that 
                                the applicant could take for the permit 
                                to be issued; and
                                    ``(II) that includes a list of 
                                actions that need to be taken by the 
                                agency to comply with applicable law, 
                                together with timelines and deadlines 
                                for taking such actions, which shall 
                                not exceed the deadlines specified in 
                                section 107(g) of the National 
                                Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
                                U.S.C. 4336a(g)).
                    ``(B) Deadline for deferred decisions.--If the 
                Secretary defers a decision on a permit under 
                subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall issue a 
                decision on the permit not later than 10 days after the 
                applicant takes any steps specified pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) and the agency takes the 
                actions listed pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) in 
                accordance with any applicable timelines and 
                deadlines.''.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 571

119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 1687

                          [Report No. 119-657]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 20, 2026

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed