,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #difj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ad1     
#bjbf,mr4 ,risch introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
amend the ,geothermal ,steam ,act of    
#aigj to increase the frequency of lease
 sales1 to require replacement sales1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,committing ,leases for ,energy ,access 
,now ,act or the ,,clean ,act4  #b4     
,geothermal leasing  7a7 ,annual leasing
 ,section #d7;b7 of the ,geothermal     
,steam ,act of #aigj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4     
#ajjc7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in         
paragraph 7#b71 by striking #b years and
 inserting year2  7#b7 by redesignating 
paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d7 as paragraphs  
7#e7 and 7#f71 respectively2 and  7#c7  
after paragraph 7#b71 by inserting the  
following3  7#c7 ,replacement ,sales ,if
 a lease sale under paragraph 7#a7 for a

 year is canceled or delayed1 the       
,secretary of the ,interior shall       
conduct a replacement sale during the   
same year4  7#d7 ,requirement ,of the   
nominated parcels eligible for          
geothermal development and utilization  
under the resource management plan in   
effect for the ,state1 the ,secretary   
shall1 in conducting a lease sale under 
paragraph 7#b71 offer for lease-- 7,a7  
#ge percent of such nominated parcels2  
and  7,b7 the remaining #be percent of  
such nominated parcels1 unless the      
,secretary provides a written           
justification that identifies a         
statutory1 environmental1 or            
administrative basis that prevents the  
,secretary from offering such nominated 
parcels for lease4  4  7b7 ,deadlines   
for consideration of geothermal drilling
 permits ,section #d of the ,geothermal 
,steam ,act of #aigj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4     
#ajjc7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7h7 ,deadlines for      
consideration of geothermal drilling    

permits  7#a7 ,notice ,not later than   
#cj days after the date on which the    
,secretary receives an application for  
any geothermal drilling permit1 the     
,secretary shall-- 7,a7 provide written 
notice to the applicant that the        
application is complete2 or  7,b7 notify
 the applicant that information is      
missing and specify any information that
 is required to be submitted for the    
application to be complete4  7#b7       
,issuance or deferral  7,a7 ,in general 
,not later than #cj days after the      
,secretary has provided written notice  
to an applicant for a geothermal        
drilling permit that the application for
 such permit is complete pursuant to    
paragraph 7#a77;,a71 the ,secretary     
shall-- 7i7 issue the permit1 if the    
requirements under the ,national        
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 and other 
applicable law have been completed      
within such timeframe2 or  7ii7 defer   
the decision on the permit and provide  

to the applicant a notice-- 7,i7 that   
specifies any steps that the applicant  
could take for the permit to be issued2 
and  7,,ii7 that includes a list of     
actions that need to be taken by the    
agency to comply with applicable law1   
together with timelines and deadlines   
for taking such actions1 which shall not
 exceed the deadlines specified in      
section #ajg7;g7 of the ,national       
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccf;a7g774  7,b7       
,deadline for deferred decisions ,if the
 ,secretary defers a decision on a      
permit under subparagraph 7,a77ii71 the 
,secretary shall issue a decision on the
 permit not later than #aj days after   
the applicant takes any steps specified 
pursuant to subparagraph 7,a77ii77,i7   
and the agency takes the actions listed 
pursuant to subparagraph 7,a77ii77,,ii7 
in accordance with any applicable       
timelines and deadlines4  4