HR 133119th CongressIn Committee

Protecting American Energy Production Act

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Protecting American Energy Production Act would prohibit the President from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking unless Congress explicitly authorizes one by law). It also states that states should maintain primary regulatory authority over fracking on state and private lands. In effect, the bill seeks to preserve ongoing and future fracking activities by limiting executive power to pause such activity and reinforcing state-level regulatory primacy, while leaving Congress as the arbiter if a moratorium is ever to occur.

Key Points

1Prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing unless specifically authorized by an Act of Congress.
2Declares, as a sense of Congress, that states should maintain primacy in regulating fracking on state and private lands.
3Uses a broad “Notwithstanding any other provision of law” clause to ensure the moratorium prohibition takes precedence, underscoring a strong limit on executive actions to pause fracking.
4Indicates the bill was introduced in the House by Representative Boebert and referred to the Committees on Natural Resources and on Energy and Commerce.
5Establishes the short title: Protecting American Energy Production Act.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Oil and natural gas producers and operators (fracking activity), including those on state and private lands, who would face fewer potential federal pauses and greater regulatory continuity.- States and landowners on state and private lands, which would retain primacy in fracking regulation per the bill’s sense-of-the-Congress statement.Secondary group/area affected- Federal agencies and regulators overseeing energy production and land use (e.g., those involved with permitting and environmental review) due to the intent to limit executive moratorium actions.- Environmental advocacy groups and communities prioritizing environmental protections, as the bill constrains the President’s ability to temporarily pause fracking for policy reasons.Additional impacts- National energy policy and energy market dynamics, potentially supporting continued fossil fuel production and influencing prices, supply, and energy security discussions.- Constitutional and federalism considerations, since the bill explicitly elevates state regulatory primacy and restricts executive authority to pause energy development without congressional action.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025