States grab bigger cut of federal oil and gas lease revenue
H.R. 10831 — Acquired Lands Revenue Modernization Act · Filed by David Taylor (R-OH) · Introduced Oct 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal law to increase the share of oil and gas leasing revenue from lands acquired by the federal government that goes to states. Currently, states receive a portion of revenue from oil and gas leases on acquired lands under one formula; this bill modifies that formula to direct a larger state share by changing how receipts are calculated and distributed under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands and the Mineral Leasing Act.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a reallocation of oil and gas lease revenue from federal to state coffers. It does not create new leasing authority or expand drilling; it changes the split of existing revenue streams.
What the text implies
- The bill does not specify what happens to the federal share that is redirected to states—whether it reduces conservation funding, public lands management budgets, or other federal programs dependent on mineral lease revenue.
- States may use increased revenue for any purpose (schools, roads, general fund) or may dedicate it to oil and gas development incentives, creating a feedback loop that encourages more drilling on acquired lands.
- The amendment references Section 35(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191(b)) without restating its terms; the actual revenue split depends on what that cited provision says, which is not included in this bill text.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
States gain direct revenue that may fund public services, schools, or infrastructure; however, the federal government loses revenue that could fund federal conservation, public lands management, or other national priorities. The net effect on ordinary citizens depends on how states deploy the additional revenue and what federal programs lose funding.
Who stands to gain
- state governments
- oil and gas companies (indirectly, via state incentives funded by increased revenue)
Named in the bill
Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands, Mineral Leasing Act, 30 U.S.C. 191, 30 U.S.C. 1701, Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, state governments, federal government
Where it stands
- Oct 15, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 15, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (889 characters) on Oct 21, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,388 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-21.
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