Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026
Oil and Gas: Exempting Small Wells from Air Quality Rules
This bill was introduced in the Senate and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Environment and Public Works. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time. The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process.
Legislative Progress
This bill is sponsored only by Republicans and faces strong opposition from environmental groups and lawmakers who support stricter climate regulations.
Key Points
- This bill would stop the EPA from applying certain air pollution rules to small oil and gas wells. These are wells that produce 15 barrels of oil or 90,000 cubic feet of gas or less per day. It also covers equipment used at these sites like storage tanks and pumps.
- Owners of these small wells would no longer have to follow federal rules for finding and fixing leaks. They would also be exempt from reporting their emissions or keeping detailed records for the government. This is intended to reduce costs for small energy businesses.
- The bill prevents the EPA from forcing states to include these small wells in their local air quality plans. If a state wants to remove these wells from their current plans, the EPA must approve the change within 180 days or it happens automatically.
- Any current legal actions or fines against these small wells for not following these specific air rules would be canceled. Supporters say this helps small businesses stay open, while critics may worry about increased methane leaks and air pollution.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(7)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.