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H.R. 4389: Ensuring the Taxpayer a Fair Return for Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Resources Act of 2015

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H.R. 4389: Ensuring the Taxpayer a Fair Return for Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Resources Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2016-01-13 · Energy · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2016-01-13 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Ensuring the Taxpayer a Fair Return for Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Resources Act of 2015

Plain summary

Ensuring the Taxpayer a Fair Return for Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Resources Act of 2015 This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to increase the minimum acceptable bids and rentals for leases of oil, natural gas, and tar sand on federal land. Minimum acceptable bids and rentals shall receive inflation adjustments once every four years. One-third of any amounts received by the United States from sales, bonuses, and royalties, including interest charges collected under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982, and from rentals of the public lands in Alaska under the Mineral Leasing Act and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, shall be made available in specified percentages: for use for oil and gas inspection and enforcement; to remediate, reclaim, and properly plug and abandon orphan oil and gas wells on federal lands; and to the state within whose boundaries the leased land is located, or the deposits were derived, for state use in accordance with specified requirements.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Ensuring the Taxpayer a Fair Return for Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Resources Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mark Pocan (D-WI), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr4389 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114