,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #fgd #aaith  
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #eegf
 ,report ,no4 #aai-ggc ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives          
,september #bf1 #bjbe,mr4 ,fulcher      
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,august #bg1                
#bjbf;,additional sponsors3 ,ms4 ,maloy1
 ,mr4 ,kennedy of ,utah1 and ,mr4       
,begich  ,august #bg1 #bjbf,reported    
with an amendment1 committed to the     
,committee of the ,whole ,house on the  
,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be 
printed,strike out all after the        
enacting clause and insert the part     
printed in italic,for text of introduced
 bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on
 ,september #bf1 #bjbe  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend the ,geothermal ,steam ,act of    
#aigj to promote timely exploration for 
geothermal resources under geothermal   
leases1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,enhancing ,geothermal ,production  

on ,federal ,lands ,act4  #b4           
,geothermal production on ,federal lands
 ,the ,geothermal ,steam ,act of #aigj  
7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq47 is amended
 by adding at the end the following3    
#cj4 ,geothermal exploration projects   
7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,geothermal exploration project ,the    
term geothermal exploration project     
means the drilling of a temperature     
gradient well1 monitoring well1         
calibration well1 or another geothermal 
exploratory well1 including construction
 or making improvements for such        
activities1 on lands for which the      
,secretary has issued a geothermal      
lease-- 7,a7 that is carried out by the 
holder of the lease2  7,b7 for which--  
7i7 the last cemented casing string has 
an outer diameter of less than #acc_/h  
inches2 and  7ii7 the total unreclaimed 
surface disturbance at any one time     
within the project area is less than #h 
acres1 not including the area of a      
permanent or temporary access road2     

7,c7 that is completed in less than #ahj
 days1 including the removal of any     
surface infrastructure from the project 
area2 and  7,d7 that requires the       
restoration of the project area within  
#c years of the date of first           
exploration drilling to approximately   
the condition that existed at the time  
the project began1 unless the project   
area is subsequently used as part of    
energy development under the lease4     
7#b7 ,covered activity ,the term covered
 activity includes1 with respect to     
exploration1 development1 or production 
7including direct use7 of geothermal    
resources-- 7,a7 geotechnical           
investigations2  7,b7 off-road travel in
 a right-of-way established by          
,congress1 granted by a ,federal agency1
 or included in a land use plan2 and    
7,c7 construction1 maintenance1         
realignment1 and repair of an existing  
permanent or temporary access road      
within a right-of-way established by    
,congress1 granted by a ,federal agency1

 or included in a land use plan4  7b7   
,non-,major ,federal action ,geothermal 
exploration projects and covered        
activities shall not be considered major
 ,federal actions under section         
#ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national           
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c774  7c7     
,requirement ,to provide notice ,the    
holder of a geothermal lease shall      
provide to the ,secretary notice of     
their intent to carry out a geothermal  
exploration project at least #cj days   
before the start of drilling under the  
project4  4  #c4 ,findings ,congress    
finds that-- 7#a7 pursuant to section   
#aji of the ,national ,environmental    
,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#dccf;c71 as amended by section #cba7;b7
 of the ,fiscal ,responsibility ,act of 
#bjbc 7,public ,law #aah-e71 the ,bureau
 of ,land ,management announced on      
,april #ae1 #bjbd1 it had adopted       
categorical exclusions from the         
,department of the ,navy and the ,united

 ,states ,forest ,service for geothermal
 exploration2 and  7#b7 if appropriately
 used1 these categorical exclusions are 
expected to expedite the review and     
approval of geothermal exploration      
proposals on ,bureau of ,land           
,management lands4  ,august #bg1        
#bjbf,reported with an amendment1       
committed to the ,committee of the      
,whole ,house on the ,state of the      
,union1 and ordered to be printed