House sets vote on leasing, marine sanctuary bills

By Nicole Norman | 07/08/2024 06:40 AM EDT

Also on the agenda is legislation to address land appraisal delays.

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas).

The House will vote this week on oil and gas legislation from Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The House will debate multiple bills passed by the House Natural Resource Committee this week, including legislation to address concerns with geothermal and oil and gas leases.

The “Royalty Resiliency Act,” H.R. 7377, from Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), would remove a 100 percent royalty rate on oil and gas leases — even if the lease covers non-federally owned land — until the Interior Department approves a so-called communization agreement that lays out the exact royalty payment amount.

Ben Gruber, deputy assistant director of energy, minerals and realty management for the Bureau of Land Management, expressed support for the bill during a Natural Resources subcommittee hearing in March.

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Hunt said in April, “The Royalty Resiliency Act is a tremendous step in the right direction for America’s oil and gas industry to ensure their resources and capital are not tied up in administrative bureaucratic processes.”

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