03/05/2026

 

Samuel Clifford

 

H.R. 41 (Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Nicholas Begich (R‑AK‑At Large)

 

Purpose: Recognizes several Southeast Alaska Native communities that were excluded from the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and authorizes compensation and land-related remedies to address those omissions.

 

Effect: Provides long‑denied federal recognition and settlement authority, enabling eligible Native communities to receive land, financial compensation, and legal standing comparable to other ANCSA-recognized groups.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/41

 

H.R. 301 (Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act-“GEO Act”)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Celeste Maloy (R‑UT‑2)

 

Purpose: Amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to require the Secretary of the Interior to process geothermal drilling and leasing applications within a defined 60‑day deadline once federal requirements are met.

 

Effect: Accelerates geothermal project development by limiting administrative delays, improving permitting predictability, and encouraging investment in geothermal exploration and production.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/301

 

H.R. 398 (Geothermal Cost‑Recovery Authority Act of 2025)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (D‑NY‑14)

 

Purpose: Grants the Department of the Interior authority to recover administrative costs associated with processing geothermal leasing and permitting activities under the Geothermal Steam Act.

 

Effect: Ensures more efficient geothermal permitting by allowing DOI to recoup expenses, improving agency capacity and reducing delays in geothermal project approvals. Potential concerns about H.R. 398 (Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025) center on how expanded fee authority might affect industry participation and oversight. Allowing the Department of the Interior to recover administrative costs under the Geothermal Steam Act could increase upfront expenses for geothermal developers, particularly smaller or emerging companies that may struggle with higher permitting fees.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/398

 

H.R. 1077 (Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act-“STEAM Act”)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Susie Lee (D‑NV‑3)

 

Purpose: Expands the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow geothermal exploration in previously studied or developed areas to qualify for categorical exclusions under NEPA, reducing permitting burdens.

 

Effect: Speeds geothermal deployment by aligning geothermal permitting with similar oil‑and‑gas drilling exclusions, reducing regulatory disparity and accelerating clean‑energy development.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1077

 

H.R. 2252 (North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2025)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R‑ND‑At Large)

 

Purpose: Authorizes North Dakota to relinquish certain state land parcels and select equivalent federal lands in exchange, while restoring specific lands and mineral rights to federally recognized tribes in the state.

 

Effect: Resolves long‑standing land entitlement issues, improves tribal land restoration, and provides North Dakota with a streamlined mechanism to complete its trust‑land obligations.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2252

 

H.R. 2709 (Save Our Sequoias Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R‑CA‑3)

 

Purpose: Establishes emergency authorities, interagency coordination mechanisms, and forest‑management tools to protect giant sequoia groves from catastrophic wildfire, disease, and climate‑driven threats.

 

Effect: Accelerates hazardous‑fuel reduction, expands restoration projects, and streamlines environmental reviews to prevent further loss of ancient sequoias while improving long‑term forest resilience.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2709

 

H.R. 2768 (Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R‑TN‑3)

 

Purpose: Directs the National Park Service to study whether the Benton MacKaye Trail should be designated as a National Scenic Trail under the National Trails System Act.

 

Effect: Initiates the formal evaluation needed for potential federal designation, which could expand conservation protections, tourism, and trail‑management resources.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2768

 

H.R. 3553 (BRUSH Fires Act-Building Resiliency and Understanding of Shrublands to Halt Fires Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Katie Porter (D‑CA‑47)

 

Purpose: Requires federal agencies to study wildfire behavior in shrubland ecosystems and develop improved management strategies tailored to high‑risk shrub‑dominated landscapes.

 

Effect: Enhances wildfire‑prevention planning by generating region‑specific data, improving land‑management practices, and reducing fire severity in shrubland regions.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3553

 

H.R. 3831 (Florida Safe Seas Act of 2025)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Daniel Webster (R‑FL‑11)

 

Purpose: Strengthens maritime safety and environmental protections along Florida’s coastline, including enhanced monitoring, spill‑response planning, and coastal‑hazard mitigation.

 

Effect: Reduces risks to Florida’s marine ecosystems and coastal communities by improving federal‑state coordination and emergency‑response readiness.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3831

 

H.R. 4684 (Star‑Spangled Summit Act of 2025)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R‑CA‑3)

 

Purpose: Establishes a national summit to coordinate federal, state, and private‑sector efforts to strengthen U.S. outdoor recreation, conservation, and public‑lands policy.

 

Effect: Improves long‑term recreation planning and conservation strategy by creating a unified forum for policy alignment and stakeholder collaboration.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4684

 

H.R. 5576 (Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Russ Fulcher (R‑ID‑1)

 

Purpose: Streamlines geothermal leasing and drilling on federal lands by expanding categorical exclusions and reducing duplicative permitting requirements.

 

Effect: Accelerates geothermal project timelines, increases renewable‑energy output, and reduces administrative barriers to clean‑energy development.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5576

 

H.R. 5587 (HEATS Act-Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Young Kim (R‑CA‑40)

 

Purpose: Expands federal support for geothermal demonstration projects and directs agencies to identify high‑potential geothermal resource zones.

 

Effect: Boosts geothermal innovation and deployment by improving federal mapping, research, and early‑stage project support.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5587

 

H.R. 5617 (Geothermal Gold Book Development Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D‑CO‑8)

 

Purpose: Requires the Department of Energy to develop a comprehensive “Geothermal Gold Book” compiling best practices, permitting guidance, and technical standards for geothermal development.

 

Effect: Provides industry and regulators with a unified reference to streamline geothermal permitting, reduce uncertainty, and improve project outcomes.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5617

 

H.R. 5631 (Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R‑TX‑15)

 

Purpose: Creates a federal geothermal ombudsman to coordinate permitting, resolve interagency conflicts, and assist developers navigating federal geothermal processes.

 

Effect: Reduces bureaucratic delays and improves geothermal project throughput by establishing a dedicated federal liaison for industry and agencies.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5631

 

H.R. 5638 (Geothermal Royalty Reform Act)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R‑CA‑3)

 

Purpose: Updates royalty structures for geothermal energy production on federal lands to encourage investment and reflect modern energy‑market conditions.

 

Effect: Makes geothermal development more financially viable, increasing renewable‑energy output and improving federal revenue predictability.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5638

 

H.R. 5682 (To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, and for other purposes)

 

Sponsor: Rep. Darrell Issa (R‑CA‑48)

 

Purpose: Transfers specified parcels of land in California into federal trust status for the Pechanga Band of Indians.

 

Effect: Strengthens tribal sovereignty, expands tribal land base, and enables the tribe to manage the land under federal trust protections.

 

Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5682