Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2023
This bill amends federal grant rules for cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells (orphan wells). It removes a requirement for states to measure methane emissions or conduct specific monitoring activities to qualify for these grants, giving states flexibility to choose whether to collect such data. Additionally, it directs the Interior Department to commission a National Academies study within 180 days to examine how plugging these wells affects local economies, housing, and water quality in communities where many wells were cleaned up. The study must include input from all five U.S. regions and report to Congress within 18 months of the last grant being awarded, using existing funding.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Dec 13, 2023
Last action Dec 13, 2023
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Dec 13, 2023
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
upper
Dec 13, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 13 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Mike Braun
RRepublican
Co
Eric Schmitt
RRepublican
Co
James E. Risch
RRepublican
Co
James Lankford
RRepublican
Co
Jerry Moran
RRepublican
Co
John Cornyn
RRepublican
Co
John Fetterman
DDemocratic
Co
Markwayne Mullin
RRepublican
Co
Mike Crapo
RRepublican
Co
Mike Lee
RRepublican
Co
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
DDemocratic
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