The American Energy Act amends federal law governing oil and gas drilling on public lands to streamline the permitting process and limit court challenges. The bill requires the Department of Interior to continue processing drilling permit applications even when lawsuits are pending against the underlying lease, and it establishes a four-year term limit for new drilling permits. Additionally, the legislation restricts federal courts' authority to block or delay oil and gas lease sales, allowing courts to stop development only if they find it poses imminent and substantial environmental harm with no alternative remedy available. The bill also prevents courts from halting lease sales under environmental review laws once the Interior Department has opened bids or announced high bidders. These changes primarily affect oil and gas companies seeking to develop leases on federal lands and environmental groups that typically challenge such sales in court.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.