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HR 398 119th Congress House Energy Alternative and renewable resources Electric power generation and transmission Environmental assessment, monitoring, research Land use and conservation Mining Pollution liability User charges and fees

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025

Introduced: January 14, 2025 Introduced by: Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria Democratic · New York See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 9 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 20, 2026
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 569.
May 20, 2026
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-655.
Mar 5, 2026
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged
Mar 5, 2026
Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
Mar 5, 2026
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Dec 16, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Dec 9, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Jan 14, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Jan 14, 2025
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025

This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to give the Department of the Interior the authority to collect certain fees from applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases through September 30, 2032. Specifically, Interior may direct those applicants or leaseholders to reimburse the United States for costs from (1) processing applications for geothermal leases on federal land, such as applications for geothermal drilling permits; and (2) inspecting and monitoring geothermal exploration and development activities, including reclamation activities.

Interior may reduce the amount of the fee if it determines that (1) the full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant, or (2) a less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources.

Interior may use those fees only to the extent that they are provided in advance in appropriations acts for (1) processing applications for geothermal leases, and (2) inspecting and monitoring related exploration and development activities.

Within five years of the bill's enactment, Interior must submit to Congress a report that includes an assessment of how the fees affect Interior's geothermal leasing program and any recommendations for updates to the fees and the program. 

What's happening now May 20, 2026

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 569.

 Hearings & markups 1
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Lobbying activity 7

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

See all 7 filings →
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 398: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-398/
MLA
"H.R. 398: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-398/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 398, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-398/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 398: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-398/)
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