Congress extends oil drilling permit program 11 more years

What it does

This bill extends a fee collection program through 2037. Oil and gas companies pay fees for drilling permits on federal land. The Interior Department uses these fees to process permits. The bill does not change the fee amount.

Who it affects

Oil and gas companies that apply for drilling permits will continue paying fees. The Interior Department will have steady funding to process permits.

One thing to notice

Companies pay fees that fund permit processing. These fees may not cover all environmental costs of drilling.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

• Jul 21, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jul 21, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources”
• Jul 29, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably”

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

Words to know

• federal land — Land owned by the U.S. government, not by states or private people.
• Interior Department — The U.S. government agency that manages federal land and natural resources.
• permit — Official written permission to do something, like drill for oil.
• environmental — Related to nature, air, water, soil, and living things.