House · HR 7831 · 119th Congress
License to Drill Act
Summary
This bill extends the government's power to charge a fee for each new oil and gas drilling permit application through 2037. The Bureau of Land Management collects these fees and puts them into a special fund to speed up permit reviews. Companies applying to drill on public lands are directly affected.
In Favor
The fee program gives the Bureau of Land Management steady money to hire staff and process drilling permits faster. Without this extension, the program would end in 2026 and cause delays for energy companies. Keeping it running through 2037 helps the government review applications more quickly and supports domestic energy production.
Against
Extending this fee adds over a decade of extra costs for companies seeking drilling permits on public land. Those costs can be passed along to consumers or reduce investment in new energy projects. Locking in the program through 2037 also limits Congress from rethinking the fee structure if energy markets change.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill extends the time the Bureau of Land Management can collect fees from companies that apply for new permits to drill for oil and gas on public lands.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The provisions stay on topic, focusing only on extending the fee collection period and directing collected fees to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Oil and gas companies applying for new drilling permits on public lands pay the fees. The BLM receives the collected money to support its permit review work.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill extends a fee charged to each new drilling permit applicant through 2037. All fees collected from 2027 through 2037 go into the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund. No separate federal spending is authorized.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill requires BLM to collect and transfer fees for eleven more years, meaning the agency must maintain the systems and staff needed to process applications and manage the fund over that period.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 10/18/2026