,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #acfc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ba1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,labrador introduced the following 
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,natural ,resources  ,a   
,,bill  ,to promote timely exploration  
for geothermal resources under existing 
geothermal leases1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,exploring for      
,geothermal ,energy on ,federal ,lands  
,act4  #b4 ,geothermal exploration      
notice and exclusion  7a7 ,definition of
 geothermal exploration test project ,in
 this section the term geothermal       
exploration test project means the      
drilling of a well to test or explore   
for geothermal resources on lands leased
 by the ,department of the ,interior for
 the development and production of      
geothermal resources1 that--  7#a7 is   
carried out by the holder of the lease2 
7#b7 causes--  7,a7 less than #e acres  
of soil or vegetation disruption at the 

location of each geothermal exploration 
well2 and  7,b7 not more than an        
additional #e acres of soil or          
vegetation disruption during access or  
egress to the test site2  7#c7 is       
developed--  7,a7 no deeper than #b1ejj 
feet2  7,b7 less than #h inches in      
diameter2  7,c7 in a manner that does   
not require off-road motorized access   
other than to and from the well site    
along an identified off-road route for  
which notice is provided to the         
,secretary of the ,interior under       
subsection 7c72  7,d7 without           
construction of new roads other than    
upgrading of existing drainage crossings
 for safety purposes2 and  7,e7 with the
 use of rubber-tired digging or drilling
 equipment vehicles2  7#d7 is completed 
in less than #de days1 including the    
removal of any surface infrastructure   
from the site2 and  7#e7 requires the   
restoration of the project site within  
#c years to approximately the condition 
that existed at the time the project    

began1 unless the site is subsequently  
used as part of energy development on   
the lease4  7b7 ,,nepa exclusion        
,section #ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national  
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 shall not 
apply with respect to a project that the
 ,secretary of the ,interior determines 
under subsection 7c7 is a geothermal    
exploration test project4  7c7 ,notice  
of intent2 review and determination     
7#a7 ,requirement to provide notice ,a  
leaseholder intending to carry out a    
geothermal exploration test project     
shall provide notice to the ,secretary  
of the ,interior not later than #cj days
 prior to the start of drilling under   
the project4  7#b7 ,review of project   
,the ,secretary shall by not later than 
#aj days after receipt of a notice of   
intent under paragraph 7#a7 from a      
leaseholder--  7,a7 review the project  
described in the notice and determine   
whether it is a geothermal exploration  
test project under subsection 7a72 and  

7,b7 notify the leaseholder--  7i7 that 
under subsection 7b7 of this section1   
section #ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national   
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 does not  
apply to the project2 or  7ii7 that     
section #ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national   
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 applies to
 the project1 including clear and       
detailed findings on any deficiencies in
 the project that preclude the          
application of subsection 7b7 of this   
section to the project4  7#c7           
,opportunity to remedy ,if the          
,secretary provides notice under        
paragraph 7#b77;,b77ii7 that section    
#ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national           
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 applies to
 the project1 the ,secretary shall      
provide the leaseholder an opportunity  
to remedy the deficiencies described in 
the notice prior to the date the        
leaseholder intended to start drilling  

under the project4