H.R. 1503: Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-02 · Energy · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 452.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-02 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 452. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021

Plain summary

Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021 This bill modifies several provisions related to oil and gas leasing on public lands. Among other requirements, the bill replaces the competitive auction process with a competitive-sealed bidding process. It also eliminates non-competitive bidding. Additionally, the bill increases royalty rates, rental rates, and the minimum bid amount. Further, the bill creates a fee for nominating lands for leasing. Lease sales must be held in each state no more than three times per year instead of quarterly. The bill also decreases lease term durations from 10 to 5 years. Certain lease information must be made available on public websites, including the names of all current and former lessees and operators. The bill also adds a number of new provisions related to protection of private surface estate owners. Finally, the bill establishes requirements to protect water resources, including by requiring oil or gas operators to replace certain water supplies affected by drilling, hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking), or production operations. In addition, the Bureau of Land Management must issue regulations governing the use of fracking under oil and gas leases for federal lands. The regulations must require (1) baseline water testing, and (2) public disclosure of each chemical used for fracking.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House, Part I), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House, Part I)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Darren Soto (D-FL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] reported raising $3.6 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (2)

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).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House, Part I)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr1503.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr1503 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117