Both sides have signed this (Bill Ranking)
H.R. 1217 · 119th Congress (2025-2026)
5 members · Left 1 · Center 1 · Right 3 (Bill Ranking)
| Sponsor | Rep. Thompson, Glenn (R-PA) (Introduced 02/11/2025) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Voting Record | Lean right · DW-NOMINATE +0.34 · measured from every roll-call vote this member has cast (voteview.com) (Sponsor Ranking) |
| Support |
LLLCLRR support across the spectrum: 5 members signed on (Bill Ranking) this bill: sponsor + current cosponsors, each once |
| Committees | House - Natural Resources Committee |
| Latest Action | 02/11/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. |
| Roll Call Votes | There have been no roll call votes |
| Source | view on congress.gov → |
Introduced in House (02/11/2025)
Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025
This bill removes certain requirements, including measuring methane emissions, for grants to states under the State Orphaned Wells Program.
Under the program, the Department of the Interior provides grants to states for the following purposes: (1) plugging, remediating, and reclaiming orphaned wells located on federal land; (2) identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells; (3) measuring and tracking emissions of gases (e.g., methane) or contamination of water associated with orphaned wells; or (4) conducting certain other related activities. Generally, orphaned wells are oil and gas wells without solvent owners or operators responsible for cleaning up leaks from the wells.
In 2024, Interior issued guidance for the grant program that requires states to conduct certain measuring and tracking activities related to the orphaned wells before and after receiving grants. However, the bill specifies that states are not required to provide such information in order to receive a grant. Instead, the bill makes measuring and tracking optional.
The bill also directs Interior to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the effect of the plugging and remediation activity on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits in areas where the plugging and remediation activity reclaimed a high number of well sites.
119 HR 1217 IH: Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives 2025-02-11 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I119th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 1217IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFebruary 11, 2025Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Deluzio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural ResourcesA BILLTo amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to address measuring methane emissions, and for other purposes.
1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025.
2.Pre-plugging methane emissions for grant eligibilitySection 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) is amended— (1)in subsection (c)(2), by adding at the end the following: (C)Activities not requiredNothing in this section requires a State to measure methane emissions or conduct other activities described in subparagraph (A), which are activities a State may conduct but is not required to conduct, as a condition of eligibility for a grant under this subsection.; and (2)in subsection (f)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting , which may include estimates derived from pre-plugging or post-plugging monitoring data that States may, but are not required to, collect using funding from grants awarded under this section, after estimate.
3.National Academies study on community impact of orphaned well grant program (a)StudyNot later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall— (1)seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall carry out a study on the effect of the plugging and remediation activity conducted under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits (such as improvements in water quality) in areas where the plugging and remediation activity conducted under that section reclaimed a high number of sites, as determined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and (2)to the maximum extent practicable, provide the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine with information necessary to carry out the study described in paragraph (1). (b)Key inputsThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall ensure that at least 1 State from each region of the United States (Northeast, Southwest, West, Southeast, and Midwest) shall be key inputs to the study carried out under subsection (a). (c)ConsultationIn carrying out the study under subsection (a), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall consult with— (1)the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with respect to— (A)how the plugging and remediation activity conducted under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) has affected economic development and housing trends; and (B)how data on locations of plugging and remediation priorities from the Department of the Interior may be valuable to the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (2)the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, to provide data required to carry out the study under subsection (a); and (3)other Federal agencies, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (d)ReportNot later than 18 months after the date on which the last grant is awarded under section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall submit to Congress a report detailing the findings of the study carried out under subsection (a). (e)Use of existing fundsThis section shall be carried out using amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary of the Interior.
The bill's own words, from our database (synced from the GPO BILLS XML); paragraph breaks added at the bill's section boundaries, nothing else changed.
| Date | Chamber | All Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 02/11/2025 | Library of Congress | Introduced in House |
| 02/11/2025 | Library of Congress | Introduced in House |
| 02/11/2025 | House floor actions | Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. |
| Title Type | Title |
|---|---|
| Display Title | Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 |
| Short Title(s) as Introduced | Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 |
| Official Title as Introduced | To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to address measuring methane emissions, and for other purposes. |
There are no amendments to this bill.
* = Original cosponsor
| Committee | Activity |
|---|---|
| House - Natural Resources Committee | 02/11/2025 Referred To |
No related bill information was received for H.R. 1217.
Policy Area: Environmental Protection
No legislative subjects have been assigned yet.
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