PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.
H.R.1492 / 117th Congress

Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2021

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 491.

Official summary

Version 08 · Reported to House, Part I · Dec 30, 2022

Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2021

This bill establishes requirements to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil.

Specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must issue regulations that require the sector to reduce methane emissions over time. By 2025, methane emissions must be at least 65% below 2012 emissions. By 2030, the emissions must be at least 90% below 2012 emissions.

The Department of the Interior must also establish regulations to reduce and prevent the waste of natural gas on federal land and Indian lands, including waste from venting, flaring, and fugitive releases. The regulations must include consistent enforcement mechanisms for any oil or gas operations that are not in compliance.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] · D–CO

Committees

  • Energy and Commerce Committee
  • Natural Resources Committee
21 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 491.

  2. Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.

  3. Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.

  4. Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 117-672, Part I.

  5. Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 117-672, Part I.

  6. Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 20.

  7. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

  8. Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged.

  9. Subcommittee Hearings Held.

  10. Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

  11. Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.

  12. Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  13. Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  14. Introduced in House

  15. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze H.R.1492 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine H.R.1492 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine H.R.1492 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.R.1492 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources