Federal Lands and Waters Leasing Transparency Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Federal Lands and Waters Leasing Transparency Act changes oil and gas leasing procedures on federal lands and the Outer Continental Shelf. If Interior determines the federal government will not receive fair market value from an offshore lease bid and therefore does not issue the lease, the Secretary must give the bidder a report explaining the basis and, for evaluated qualified bids, how the bid relates to value measures such as mean range of values and delay-adjusted measures. The bill also prevents court orders from blocking Interior's 60-day onshore lease issuance deadline unless issuing the lease would violate federal law. For offshore lease-sale challenges, courts may not invalidate issued leases, delay exploration or development approvals, vacate the sale, or enjoin lease issuance; instead, a legal violation is remanded to Interior.
Who Benefits and How
Offshore lease applicants benefit from explanations when Interior rejects bids on fair-market-value grounds. Oil and gas contractors benefit because litigation cannot automatically invalidate issued offshore leases or delay plan approvals. Congressional energy committees benefit from a clearer statutory framework for leasing disputes. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management officials benefit from clearer remand rules when offshore lease sales are challenged.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Department of the Interior leasing staff must provide bidder reports with detailed valuation explanations. Environmental attorneys lose remedies that could set aside, vacate, enjoin, or delay challenged offshore lease sales. Federal courts must apply narrower remedial rules in offshore lease-sale litigation. Conservation organizations bear greater risk that leases and drilling approvals continue while legal defects are remanded.
Key Provisions
- Requires Interior to explain fair-market-value rejections of offshore oil and gas lease bids.
- Limits court orders that block onshore lease issuance deadlines unless issuance violates federal law.
- Bars offshore lease-sale challenges from invalidating leases or delaying exploration and development approvals.
- Requires remand to Interior rather than vacatur or injunction when an offshore lease sale violates federal law.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires more transparency when Interior rejects offshore oil and gas lease bids and limits court orders from delaying or invalidating onshore and offshore leases.
Key Policy Areas
Energy, Public Lands, Oil and Gas
Primary Purpose
Requires more transparency when Interior rejects offshore oil and gas lease bids and limits court orders from delaying or invalidating onshore and offshore leases.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Offshore lease applicants
- Oil and gas contractors
- Congressional energy committees
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management officials
Identified Costs
- Department of the Interior leasing staff
- Environmental attorneys
- Federal courts
- Conservation organizations
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Higgins of Louisiana (for himself and Ms. Hageman) introduced …
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition …
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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