Congressional Bills H.J. Res. 104, 105, 106, 130 and 131 Signed into Law

Key Points

• The President signed five laws passed by Congress that cancel specific land management plans created by the Bureau of Land Management. These plans previously set the rules for how millions of acres of federal land could be used for things like energy production, conservation, and recreation.
• The changes affect federal lands in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Alaska. By canceling these rules, Congress is stopping specific federal restrictions on how these areas are managed, which often opens the door for more oil and gas drilling or mining.
• One of the most significant changes cancels a program for oil and gas leasing in the Coastal Plain of Alaska. This area has been at the center of a long-running debate between people who want to protect the environment and those who want to increase American energy production.
• These actions use a special power Congress has to throw out rules made by government agencies. Once a rule is canceled this way, the agency is usually blocked from making a similar rule in the future unless Congress passes a new law allowing it.