Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Methane Pollution Accountability Act”.
Methane Pollution Accountability Act
A BILL
To require certain royalties paid for gas produced from Federal land and on the outer Continental Shelf to be assessed on all gas produced, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Royalties on all extracted methane
In general— For all leases issued after the date of enactment of this Act, except as provided in subsection (b), royalties paid for gas produced from Federal land and on the outer Continental Shelf shall be assessed on all gas produced, including all gas that is consumed or lost by venting, flaring, or negligent releases through any equipment during upstream operations.
Exception— Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to—
gas vented or flared for not longer than 48 hours in an emergency situation that poses a danger to human health, safety, or the environment;
gas used or consumed within the area of the lease, unit, or communitized area for the benefit of the lease, unit, or communitized area; or
gas that is unavoidably lost.
Sec. 3 Waste prevention, production subject to royalties, and resource conservation
The Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall enforce the final rule entitled “Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation” and published on April 10, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 25378), and may not finalize—
the proposed rule entitled “Royalty for Oil and Gas Lost From Onshore Federal and Indian Leases” and published on June 24, 2026 (91 Fed. Reg. 37906); or
any other rule that revises the final rule entitled “Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation” and published on April 10, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 25378), unless the Director publishes a certification that the other rule will further minimize the waste of natural gas from oil and gas leases administered by the Director or improve air quality and public health.