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U.S. GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION 4
119TH CONGRESS REPORT
2d Session j HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 119-665
LICENSE TO DRILL ACT
MAY 20, 2026.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of
the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. WESTERMAN, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany H.R. 7831]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 7831) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to extend the
period of time during which the Secretary of the Interior is re-
quired to collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favor-
ably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do
pass.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 7831 is to amend the Mineral Leasing Act
to extend the period of time during which the Secretary of the Inte-
rior is required to collect a fee for each new application for a permit
to drill, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Once a leaseholder or operator identifies an oil and gas deposit
on its federal lease, the operator must submit an Application for
Permit to Drill (APD) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
prior to commencing any drilling activities.1 Following receipt of an
APD, BLM ensures that the operator meets all applicable laws and
regulations, including the National Historic Preservation Act, En-
dangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act.2
Additionally, BLM resource specialists typically participate in an
onsite inspection prior to APD approval. Such extensive require-
'Applications for Permits to Drill, Bureau of Land Management, https://www.blm.gov/
programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/operations-and-production/permitting/applications-
permits-drill.
2 Id.
69-006](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.congrecreports/crptxaiia0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)