H.R. 356 – Unleashing American Energy Act

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Updated January 20, 2026 at 2:14 AM UTC

The Unleashing American Energy Act directs the Interior Secretary to hold at least two annual oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico’s Central and Western planning areas and two in Alaska’s offshore region, starting in fiscal year 2023. It also adds a provision that the President may not unreasonably pause, cancel, or delay these leasing processes or related rulemaking without congressional approval. The bill aims to speed up federal offshore energy development and limit executive delays, affecting the oil and gas industry and federal leasing authorities.

Key Provisions

Require the Interior Secretary to conduct a minimum of two region‑wide oil and gas lease sales each fiscal year in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico planning areas.
Require the Interior Secretary to conduct a minimum of two region‑wide oil and gas lease sales each fiscal year in the Alaska offshore region.
Lease sales must follow the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and must include all unleased areas that are not subject to restrictions at the time of sale.
Amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the President from unreasonably pausing, canceling, delaying, or otherwise impeding federal energy mineral leasing or related rulemaking without congressional approval, with a rebuttable presumption that such actions are unreasonable.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee

February 21, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 13, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Natural Resources Committee

January 13, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee

February 21, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 13, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 356

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 13, 2023

Mr. Carl (for himself, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Rosendale, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Guest, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Ms. Letlow, Ms. Van Duyne, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Weber of Texas, and Mr. Johnson of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a minimum number of oil and gas lease sales in certain areas, to prevent delays in oil and gas leasing, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Unleashing American Energy Act.

2.

Offshore oil and gas leasing

(a)

Gulf of Mexico Region Annual Lease Sales

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 2023, the Secretary of the Interior shall annually conduct a minimum of 2 region-wide oil and gas lease sales in the following planning areas of the Gulf of Mexico region, as described in the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (November 2016):

(1)

The Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.

(2)

The Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.

(b)

Alaska Region Annual Lease Sales

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 2023, the Secretary of the Interior shall annually conduct a minimum of 2 region-wide oil and gas lease sales in the Alaska region of the Outer Continental Shelf, as described in the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (November 2016).

(c)

Requirements

In conducting lease sales under subsections (a) and (b), the Secretary of the Interior shall—

(1)

issue such leases in accordance with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1332 et seq.); and

(2)

include in each such lease sale all unleased areas that are not subject to restrictions as of the date of the lease sale.

(d)

Offshore oil and gas leasing delays

Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a), in the first sentence of the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking subsections (c) and (d) of this section and inserting this section;

(2)

by redesignating subsections (f) through (i) as subsections (g) through (j), respectively; and

(3)

by inserting after subsection (e) the following:

(f)

Unreasonable delays

(1)

In general

The President shall not, through Executive order or any other administrative procedure, unreasonably pause, cancel, delay, defer, or otherwise impede or circumvent any Federal energy mineral leasing processes under this Act, or a related rulemaking process required by subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Administrative Procedure Act), without congressional approval.

(2)

Rebuttable presumption

There shall be a rebuttable presumption that any attempt by the President to pause, cancel, delay, defer, or otherwise impede or circumvent any Federal energy mineral leasing process, or a related rulemaking process, described in paragraph (1), without congressional approval, is considered unreasonable for purposes of paragraph (1).

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