PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 22, 2021
Public Engagement Opportunity on Public Land Exploration Act of 2021 or the PEOPLE Act of 2021
This bill expands requirements related to issuing oil and gas leases on federal land. Specifically, the bill expands requirements related to public notice and comment periods with respect to oil and gas lease sales, including by requiring information about the person or entities submitting bids for leases. The bill also requires the lease sales to be reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
In addition, the Department of the Interior may only issue such leases to exploration and drilling operators if the operators sign post-lease surface use agreements with the surface estate owners. Under the agreements, operators must agree to reclaim the land and provide compensation for any damages resulting from the exploration and drilling operations.
People & committees
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] · D–CO
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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