What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
This bill exempts certain energy and mineral actions on federal lands from the environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill states that the following are not to be considered a major federal action under NEPA: issuing, granting, or renewing a lease, easement, or right-of-way under the Mineral Leasing Act for the exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or coal; or issuing, granting, or renewing a permit or other authorization under the Mining Law of 1872 for the exploration, location, development, or extraction of a critical mineral on land that is open to mineral entry. By way of background, NEPA requires agencies to identify and evaluate the impacts of major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment prior to finalizing certain decisions. Thus, if an action is not considered to be a major federal action, then it is exempt from NEPA.
Action Timeline
2025-01-23
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
2025-01-23
Introduced in House
2025-01-23
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.676 pass?
HR.676 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: 40%.
What does HR.676 do?
This bill exempts certain energy and mineral actions on federal lands from the environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill states that the following are not to be considered a major federal action under NEPA: issuing, granting, or renewing a lease, easement, or right-of-way under the Mineral Leasing Act for the exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or coal; or issuing, granting, or renewing a permit or other authorization under the Mining Law of 1872 for the exploration, location, development, or extraction…
Who sponsored HR.676?
HR.676 was sponsored by Harriet M. Hageman (R-Wyoming).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 676 IH: To exempt Federal actions related to energy and mineral activities on certain Federal lands from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. U.S. House of Representatives 2025-01-23 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 676 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 23, 2025 Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To exempt Federal actions related to energy and mineral activities on certain Federal lands from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. 1. NEPA exemption for Federal actions related to energy and mineral activities on certain Federal lands Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the following shall not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) ): (1) Issuing, granting, or renewing a lease, easement, or right-of-way under the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq. ) for the exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or coal. (2) Issuing, granting, or renewing a permit or other authorization under the Mining Law of 1872 ( 30 U.S.C. 22 et seq. ) for the exploration, location, development, or extraction of a critical mineral on land that is open to mineral entry.
Loading intelligence layer…