Legislative Activity

This bill exempts federal actions concerning energy and mineral activities on federal lands from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This includes leases, easements, or rights-of-way for oil, gas, or coal under the Mineral Leasing Act, and permits/authorizations for critical mineral exploration/extraction under the Mining Law of 1872. Effectively, these activities would not require environmental impact assessments typically mandated by NEPA.

The "Regulatory Cooling Off Act of 2025" amends Title 5 of the United States Code to modify the rule implementation process. It enforces a minimum 60-day feedback period, extends the waiting period for new rules to take effect from 30 days to 6 months, and mandates agencies to submit finalized rules to Congress for review at least 6 months before the rule's effective date. Additionally, it requires agencies to announce the effective date of finalized rules in the Federal Register and on their website at least 24 hours before official publication, and it modifies the review period for Congress to consider the rule from 60 days to 6 months.

The "Seventh Amendment Restoration Act" allows individuals or businesses involved in administrative agency disputes to move their case from an agency hearing to a federal district court. This change aims to provide an alternative venue for resolving disputes with federal agencies, similar to the process of moving cases from state to federal courts. It defines an agency hearing officer as administrative law judges or authorized agency employees.

The COAL Act of 2025 aims to expedite the approval process for certain pending coal lease applications and mining operations. It mandates the Secretary to promptly publish environmental assessments, determine fair market value, and approve these applications. Additionally, the act requires the Secretary to grant approvals necessary for already-awarded coal leases to commence mining. Finally, the act nullifies Secretarial Order 3338, which had impacted the Federal coal leasing program.

This bill prohibits the Department of Interior from implementing the Bureau of Land Management's Rock Springs Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan. This prevents the agency from putting the plan into action. The plan was published in December 2024.

This bill prevents the Department of Interior from enacting the Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Buffalo, Wyoming Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management. Effectively, the bill blocks the Bureau of Land Management from implementing changes to land use and resource management strategies in the Buffalo, Wyoming region.

The First Amendment Accountability Act allows citizens to sue federal employees who violate their First Amendment rights, but prevents federal employees from suing the government for actions related to their employment. Courts can award attorney's fees to the winning party, excluding the United States. The Act defines "federal employee" as any executive branch worker, excluding the President and Vice President.