H.R. 398: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-14 · Energy · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 569.

federal

Official title

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025

Plain summary

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025 This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to give the Department of the Interior the authority to collect certain fees from applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases through September 30, 2032. Specifically, Interior may direct those applicants or leaseholders to reimburse the United States for costs from (1) processing applications for geothermal leases on federal land, such as applications for geothermal drilling permits; and (2) inspecting and monitoring geothermal exploration and development activities, including reclamation activities. Interior may reduce the amount of the fee if it determines that (1) the full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant, or (2) a less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources. Interior may use those fees only to the extent that they are provided in advance in appropriations acts for (1) processing applications for geothermal leases, and (2) inspecting and monitoring related exploration and development activities. Within five years of the bill's enactment, Interior must submit to Congress a report that includes an assessment of how the fees affect Interior's geothermal leasing program and any recommendations for updates to the fees and the program.

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

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Official text

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] · 0 cosponsors

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Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
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).

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Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr398.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr398 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills