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Bill · 119th Congress · Public Law 119-134

H.R. 7831

License to Drill Act

Became lawIntroduced Mar 5, 2026Topic: Energy →
  1. 01 Introduced
  2. 02 Committee
  3. 03 Passed House
  4. 04 Passed Senate
  5. 05 To President
  6. 06 Law

Latest action · Oct 20, 2026
Became Public Law No: 119-134.

Read the bill text · Enrolled Bill ↗PDF ↗Congress.gov ↗
SummaryVotes 0Timeline 26Cosponsors 3Details

What this bill does

Overview

Companies that apply to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), part of the Interior Department, for a permit to drill an oil or gas well pay a fee with each new application. This law keeps that fee in place for 11 more years, through fiscal year 2037 (the federal budget year that ends September 30, 2037). For every year from 2027 through 2037, all of the fees collected go into the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund, an account used to process oil and gas permits. It also extends through 2037 a ban on the Interior Department raising the fee through new regulations to recover added processing costs. It was signed into law on October 20, 2026, and affects oil and gas companies seeking drilling permits and the BLM offices that review them.

Supporters say

The law keeps a steady, industry-paid source of money for reviewing drilling permits, helping the agency avoid backlogs without needing new taxpayer funding.

Critics say

Barring regulators from raising the fee to cover added costs through 2037 could leave it below what permit reviews actually cost, with taxpayers making up the difference.

Official summary · Congressional Research Service

License to Drill Act

This act extends through FY2037 the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) authority to collect oil and gas permit processing fees. For each new permit application, BLM collects a fee that is transferred to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund. (Under current law, the fees are authorized through FY2026.)

Congressional Research Service · Public Law · Oct 20, 2026

How Congress voted

No recorded votes yet. Many bills pass by voice vote or unanimous consent, where no one's individual vote is written down.

Timeline

  1. Oct 20, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-134.
  2. Oct 20, 2026Signed by President.
  3. Oct 15, 2026Presented to President.
  4. Oct 14, 2026Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Sep 30, 2026Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5226-5231)
  6. Sep 30, 2026Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Sep 17, 2026Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 665.
  8. Sep 17, 2026Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee without amendment. Without written report.
  9. Jul 29, 2026Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  10. Jul 15, 2026Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
  11. Jun 3, 2026Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  12. Jun 2, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  13. Jun 2, 2026On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3757)
  14. Jun 2, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3757)
  15. Jun 2, 2026DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7831.
  16. Jun 2, 2026Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3757-3578)
  17. Jun 2, 2026Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  18. May 20, 2026Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 579.
  19. May 20, 2026Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-665.
  20. May 14, 2026Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
  21. May 14, 2026Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  22. May 14, 2026Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged
  23. Mar 25, 2026Subcommittee Hearings Held
  24. Mar 18, 2026Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
  25. Mar 5, 2026Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  26. Mar 5, 2026Introduced in House

Cosponsors

3 members

Details

Related bills

S. 5039License to Drill ActIdentical text

Cost estimates · Congressional Budget Office

None published

Subject tags · 3

Licensing and registrationsMiningOil and gas