,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dgcc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #b1    
#bjbb,ms4 ,cortez ,masto introduced the 
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
amend the ,mineral ,leasing ,act to     
provide for certain reforms to the      
process relating to applications for    
permits to drill and the eligibility    
requirements for prospective bidders in 
lease sales1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,use it or ,lose ,it ,act4  #b4 
,eligibility to participate in lease    
sales ,section #ag7;h7 of the ,mineral  
,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bbf7;h77  
is amended by striking the subsection   
designation and all that follows through
 ,the ,secretary and inserting the      
following3  7h7 ,limitations  7#a7      
,required certification ,a prospective  
lessee shall not be eligible to         
participate in a lease sale or otherwise

 acquire a new lease under this section 
until the date on which the prospective 
lessee1 in accordance with procedures   
developed by the ,secretary of the      
,interior1 certifies to the ,secretary  
of the ,interior that the prospective   
lessee-- 7,a7 has diligently developed  
all other leases issued to the          
prospective bidder under this section by
 not later than the expiration of the   
applicable primary lease term1 as       
determined by the ,secretary of the     
,interior2  7,b7 has relinquished any   
other leases issued to the prospective  
bidder under this section that have not 
been diligently developed by the        
prospective bidder by not later than the
 expiration of the applicable primary   
lease term1 as determined by the        
,secretary2 and  7,c7 has complied with 
any other certifications that the       
,secretary of the ,interior may         
reasonably require4  7#b7 ,national     
forest system land ,the ,secretary  4   
#c4 ,applications for permits to drill  

,section #ag7p7 of the ,mineral ,leasing
 ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bbf7p77 is amended
 adding at the end the following3  7#d7 
,priority for issuing applications for  
permits to drill ,for purposes of       
considering applications for permits to 
drill submitted to the ,secretary of the
 ,interior under this subsection1 the   
,secretary of the ,interior shall give  
priority to any applicant that has--    
7,a7 demonstrated1 to the satisfaction  
of the ,secretary of the ,interior1 an  
ability and willingness to commit to    
climate mitigation and other forms of   
environmental mitigation with respect to
 the proposed activities1 including--   
7i7 binding commitments to plug and     
reclaim inactive wells2 and  7ii7 a     
willingness to relinquish leases in     
sensitive areas1 particularly areas that
 were subsequently closed to1 or        
withdrawn from1 leasing2  7,b7 provided 
production estimates for the proposed   
drilling activities2 or  7,c7           
demonstrated previous success with      

respect to completing wells4  7#e7      
,expiration of unused applications for  
permits to drill2 extensions  7,a7 ,in  
general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71  
an application for a permit to drill    
that is approved under this subsection  
after the date of enactment of this     
paragraph that is considered to be      
unused1 as determined by the ,secretary 
of the ,interior1 shall expire on the   
date that is #a year after the date of  
the approval of the application for a   
permit to drill4  7,b7 ,extensions ,the 
,secretary of the ,interior-- 7i7 may   
extend1 not more than #a time1 the      
expiration date of an unused approved   
application for a permit to drill that  
would otherwise expire under            
subparagraph 7,a7 for a period of not   
more than #ahj days2 and  7ii7 may not  
extend the expiration date of an        
approved application for a permit to    
drill that was approved before the date 
of enactment of this paragraph that is  
considered to be unused1 as determined  

by the ,secretary of the ,interior4     
7,c7 ,disqualification of certain       
applicants ,beginning on the date of    
enactment of this paragraph1 an         
applicant for a permit to drill that has
 a higher than average number of unused 
approved applications for permits to    
drill under this subsection1 as         
determined by the ,secretary of the     
,interior1 shall not be eligible for a  
new application for a permit to drill   
under this subsection unless the        
,secretary of the ,interior determines  
that-- 7i7 the applicant has            
relinquished a sufficient number of     
unused approved applications for permits
 to drill2 or  7ii7 the applicant has   
converted a sufficient number of unused 
approved applications for permits to    
drill of the applicant to in use status4
  4