H.R. 1217 · 119th Congress
Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025
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ThompsonSponsor4 cosponsors · 1 D, 3 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill removes certain requirements, including measuring methane emissions, for grants to states under the State Orphaned Wells Program.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Feb 11, 2025
Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025
This bill removes certain requirements, including measuring methane emissions, for grants to states under the State Orphaned Wells Program.
Under the program, the Department of the Interior provides grants to states for the following purposes: (1) plugging, remediating, and reclaiming orphaned wells located on federal land; (2) identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells; (3) measuring and tracking emissions of gases (e.g., methane) or contamination of water associated with orphaned wells; or (4) conducting certain other related activities. Generally, orphaned wells are oil and gas wells without solvent owners or operators responsible for cleaning up leaks from the wells.
In 2024, Interior issued guidance for the grant program that requires states to conduct certain measuring and tracking activities related to the orphaned wells before and after receiving grants. However, the bill specifies that states are not required to provide such information in order to receive a grant. Instead, the bill makes measuring and tracking optional.
The bill also directs Interior to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the effect of the plugging and remediation activity on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits in areas where the plugging and remediation activity reclaimed a high number of well sites.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025
Latest action (Feb 11, 2025): Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Policy area: Environmental Protection · Origin: House · Introduced: Feb 11, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.