Bill blocks U.S. from selling strategic oil reserves to Russia, hostile regimes

What it does

This bill prohibits the U.S. Department of Energy from selling petroleum products drawn from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to companies headquartered in countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism (under federal regulations) or in Russia. It amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to add this restriction and updates the law's table of contents accordingly.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward prohibition on SPR sales to foreign adversaries. It is a national-security measure that restricts executive discretion over a strategic asset, not a subsidy, deregulation, or private carve-out.

What the text implies

• The bill references 22 CFR 126.1 (state-sponsor designations) as of the date of enactment, creating a static list; future additions to the state-sponsor list will not automatically apply unless the law is amended again.
• The prohibition applies to 'any entity headquartered in' a listed country, potentially capturing subsidiaries or shell companies even if ultimate beneficial ownership is U.S.-based, depending on how 'headquartered' is interpreted by DOE.
• The bill does not address existing contracts or standing arrangements; conforming amendments reference section 170 in the drawdown-and-sale provision but do not explicitly retroactively void prior sales or commitments.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts the executive branch's ability to sell strategic energy reserves to entities controlled by or headquartered in hostile foreign powers, preserving a critical national asset for domestic use and preventing revenue from flowing to U.S. adversaries. This strengthens energy security and democratic accountability over a resource held in the public trust.

Named in the bill

U.S. Department of Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, State Department (via 22 CFR 126.1 state-sponsor list), Russia, Energy Policy and Conservation Act

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 7 Republicans.

• Jan 9, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 9, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.