HR1217Referred to Committee

Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2025-02-11
Introduced
4
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Glenn Thompson
Glenn Thompson
Republican · PA · Representative
Votes with party: 97.5% (601 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/T000467

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (4)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

2025-02-11

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

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Plain-English Summary

Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025 This bill removes certain requirements, including measuring methane emissions, for grants to states under the State Orphaned Wells Program. Under the program, the Department of the Interior provides grants to states for the following purposes: (1) plugging, remediating, and reclaiming orphaned wells located on federal land; (2) identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells; (3) measuring and tracking emissions of gases (e.g., methane) or contamination of water associated with orphaned wells; or (4) conducting certain other related activities. Generally, orphaned wells are oil and gas wells without solvent owners or operators responsible for cleaning up leaks from the wells. In 2024, Interior issued guidance for the grant program that requires states to conduct certain measuring and tracking activities related to the orphaned wells before and after receiving grants. However, the bill specifies that states are not required to provide such information in order to receive a grant. Instead, the bill makes measuring and tracking optional. The bill also directs Interior to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the effect of the plugging and remediation activity on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits in areas where the plugging and remediation activity reclaimed a high number of well sites.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Environmental Protection
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Related legislation

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