Bill > S1271

This bill, known as the Fuel Loss Abatement and Royalty Enhancement Act or FLARE Act, mandates that the Department of the Interior create rules within 180 days to stop or reduce the release (venting) and burning off (flaring) of natural gas during oil and gas extraction on U.S. federal lands, both on land and at sea. These regulations will also encourage capturing this gas for useful purposes or putting it back underground (reinjection). Importantly, any gas that is vented or flared will be treated as "production" for which companies must pay royalties to the U.S. government, meaning the government will collect money on gas that would otherwise be wasted. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), led by the Comptroller General, will also assess how much gas is vented or flared annually on federal lands and report these findings to Congress within 18 months of the bill's enactment. The bill also requires the Secretary of the Interior to define the terms "vent," "venting," "flare," and "flaring" for the purposes of this Act, though these new regulations will not apply to existing leases if doing so would violate the lease's terms.