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HR 1960 99th Congress House

Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1985

Official title: A bill to amend the Act of February 25, 1920, commonly known as the Mineral Leasing Act, to require competitive bidding for leases on Federal lands with oil or… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend the Act of February 25, 1920, commonly known as the Mineral Leasing Act, to require competitive bidding for leases on Federal lands with oil or gas deposits, and to require diligent exploration for, and development and production of, such oil or gas deposits, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 3, 1985 See on congress.gov
Energy LicensesOil and gas leasesPetroleumPetroleum and petroleum products
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This bill died when the 99th Congress ended
It never became law before the 99th Congress (1985–1986) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 17, 1986
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Jul 15, 1986
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Apr 23, 1985
Referred to Subcommittee on Mining and Natural Resources.
Apr 3, 1985
Referred to House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Apr 3, 1985
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 17, 1986

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1985 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to revise provisions relating to the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to lease oil and gas lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to lease to the highest responsible qualified bidder, by competitive bidding, any lands subject to disposition under the Act which may contain oil or gas deposits.

Provides that a lease shall: (1) be for an initial period of five years and as long thereafter as gas or oil is produced from the leased area in compliance with the diligence standards; (2) entitle the lessee to explore, develop, and produce oil and gas, conditioned upon compliance with diligence standards; and (3) be conditioned upon an annual rental payment of at least $2.00 per acre.

Requires a minimum royalty of $4.00 per acre in lieu of rental at the expiration of each lease year.

Requires any lessee conducting exploration, development, or production of oil or gas to provide the Secretary access to all data and information obtained from such activity which the Secretary may request.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Schumer, Charles E.
New York · Apr 3, 1985
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1960: Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1985. 99th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-1960/
MLA
"H.R. 1960: Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1985." 99th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-1960/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1960, 99th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-1960/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1960: Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1985](https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-1960/)
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