Rep. Mike Quigley

Transparency in Energy Production Act of 2021 This bill requires certain disclosures by entities seeking a lease or holding a lease to develop renewable energy operations or fossil fuel operations on public lands or Indian lands or any operation using any right-of-way or special use permit that would cross public lands, Indian lands, or national forests that would facilitate fossil fuel development. The disclosures are those described in the Sustainability Accounting Standard for the Renewable Resources and Alternative Energy Sector or the Extractives and Mineral Processing Sector. Every two years, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture must report to Congress on such operations, including greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, water management, biodiversity impacts, production, and the number of sites. For renewable energy operations on public lands or Indian lands, the report must include greenhouse gas emissions that would result from the production of the same amount of energy using fossil fuels.

Bonding Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2021 This bill revises bonding requirements for oil and gas development on public land leased from the federal government. Such bonds are required to ensure oil and gas developers have adequate financial resources for implementing reclamation plans to restore public land after oil and gas development (e.g., drilling operations) ceases. Specifically, the bill increases the bond amounts that oil and gas developers must provide prior to conducting surface-disturbing activities and requires such amounts to adjust at least once every three years for inflation. In addition, the bill sets fees to cover the cost for inspection and enforcement with respect to such leases. The bill also requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to establish uniform standards for all interim and final reclamation plans. BLM and USFS may not release any bond amounts until the standards have been met by oil and gas developers and the inspection fees have been paid. Finally, the bill gives the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the authority to obtain and retain adequate financial assurances (e.g., bonds) from nonfederal entities to repair potential damages to resources of the National Wildlife Refuge System prior to the commencement of activities related to mineral development, such as oil and gas operations.

Ending Taxpayer Welfare for Oil and Gas Companies Act of 2021 This bill addresses royalties related to the development of federal energy resources. Among other requirements, the bill increases the onshore royalty rates for new oil, gas, and coal leases; increases onshore rental rates for oil and gas leasing; modifies the current onshore oil and gas minimum bid from $2 to $10 and requires it to be adjusted every four years for inflation; and increases inspection fees and penalties on oil and gas operators.

Respect for Marriage Act This act provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Specifically, the act replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.) The act also replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The act allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations. The act does not (1) affect religious liberties or conscience protections that are available under the Constitution or federal law, (2) require religious organizations to provide goods or services to formally recognize or celebrate a marriage, (3) affect any benefits or rights that do not arise from a marriage, or (4) recognize under federal law any marriage between more than two individuals.

International Violence Against Women Act of 2022 This bill requires a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues, which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. The Ambassador-at-Large shall (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall coordinate policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment.

Stop Transnational Repression Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense related to transnational repression (e.g., activities of foreign governments to harass, intimidate, or coerce individuals in the United States).

Maddy summaryHR 7075 designates a specific triangular area in Washington, D.C. (bounded by 22nd Street NW, P Street NW, and Florida Avenue NW) as "Ukrainian Independence Park," including National Park Service reservations 57D and 360 (which contains the Taras Shevchenko Memorial). The bill updates all federal references to this area to use the new name and authorizes signage highlighting Ukraine's independence and U.S.-Ukraine solidarity. This is a procedural designation bill with no substantive policy changes, solely renaming a park area.

Climate Adaptation Science Centers Act or the CASC Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of the Interior's National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers. The centers must provide scientific expertise to managers of natural resources, cultural resources, and ecosystem services to inform decisions that aid adaptation to a changing climate and extreme weather events. The program shall include a National Climate Adaptation Science Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers. Among its activities, the National Center shall serve as the national office for the regional centers, develop and facilitate coordination among the regional centers, and conduct research on cross-regional and national science priorities. Regional centers shall develop research, education, training, and advisory service priorities regarding the impacts of climate trends and variability on natural and cultural resource management. Interior shall establish an Advisory Committee on Climate and Natural Resource Sciences to advise the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers on specified matters, including (1) the contents of a national strategy identifying key climate adaptation science priorities to advance the management of natural and cultural resources in the face of climate change; and (2) the integration of equity, particularly for historically underserved communities, in the operation of the National Center and regional centers.

Save Oak Flat Act This bill repeals the requirement for the Department of Agriculture to convey the 2,422 acres of Forest System land located in Tonto National Forest in Pinal County, Arizona, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, in exchange for various parcels of land owned by Resolution Copper. Oak Flat is withdrawn from (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

Protecting Communities from Plastics Act This bill sets forth a variety of requirements and incentives to reduce the production and use of plastics and other petrochemicals, including by directing the Environmental Protection Agency to place a temporary pause on certain new permits for petrochemical facilities under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.