H.R. 923 – Reading Mode

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 923

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 9, 2023

Ms. Hageman (for herself, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Nehls, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Owens, Mr. Rosendale, Mr. Roy, and Mr. Ogles) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To prohibit the President from issuing moratoria on leasing and permitting energy and minerals on certain Federal land.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Our Wealth of Energy Resources Act of 2023 or the POWER Act of 2023.

Prohibition on moratoria of new energy leases on certain Federal land and on withdrawal of Federal land from energy development

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Federal land

(A)

In general

The term Federal land means—

(i)

National Forest System land;

(ii)

public lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702));

(iii)

the outer Continental Shelf (as defined in section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331)); and

(iv)

land managed by the Secretary of Energy.

(B)

Inclusion

The term Federal land includes land described in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) for which the rights to the surface estate or subsurface estate are owned by a non-Federal entity.

(2)

Mineral

The term mineral means any mineral subject to sections 2319 through 2344 of the Revised Statutes (commonly known as the Mining Law of 1872) (30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.), and minerals located on lands acquired by the United States (as defined in section 2 of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351)).

(3)

President

The term President means the President or any designee, including—

(A)

the Secretary of Agriculture;

(B)

the Secretary of Energy; and

(C)

the Secretary of the Interior.

(b)

Prohibitions

(1)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President shall not carry out any action that would prohibit or substantially delay the issuance of any of the following on Federal land, unless such an action has been authorized by an Act of Congress:

(A)

New oil and gas leases, drill permits, approvals, or authorizations.

(B)

New coal leases, permits, approvals, or authorizations.

(C)

New mineral patents, leases, permits, approvals, or authorizations.

(2)

Prohibition on withdrawal

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may not withdraw any Federal land from forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, or disposition under laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials unless the withdrawal has been authorized by an Act of Congress.