H.R. 4334: American Energy First Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-07-01 · Energy · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-07-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. 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

American Energy First Act

Plain summary

American Energy First Act This bill addresses the onshore and offshore production of traditional (e.g., oil and gas) and alternative (e.g., solar and wind) energy resources and establishes requirements for distributing revenues generated from energy production, including revenues to states and territories for conservation efforts. For example, the bill limits the President's authority to (1) withdraw areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from oil and gas leasing, and (2) declare new marine national monuments. In addition, the Department of the Interior must obtain congressional approval before declaring a moratorium on issuing leases on federal lands or waters for oil, gas, or coal. Further, the bill requires Interior to defer to state regulations, guidance, and permit requirements for all activities regarding hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking) relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on federal land. Interior may delegate decisions about issuing oil and gas drill permits on federal land to states. Interior must also establish certain federal land as geothermal, solar, and wind energy leasing priority areas. The bill also allows Interior to conduct certain lease sales, such as offshore wind lease sales on the OCS in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to U.S. territories, and establishes requirements for distributing revenues from such leases to the Treasury, the Coral Reef Conservation Fund established by this bill, and U.S. territories.

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

American Energy First Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Russ Fulcher (R-ID)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] reported raising $11.2 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 (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr4334.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr4334 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117