119th Congress (2025-2026)

HR 5631

Geothermal Energy Advancement Act

In Second Chamber

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

Chamber

House

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

The Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act establishes a geothermal ombudsman and a task force within the Bureau of Land Management to streamline the permitting process for geothermal energy projects on federal land. The ombudsman will act as a liaison, resolve disputes, and develop best practices, while the task force will provide support and potentially reassign personnel to expedite authorizations. This aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of geothermal energy development.

Key provisions

Appoints a Geothermal Ombudsman within the Bureau of Land Management.
Establishes a Geothermal Permitting Task Force led by the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman will act as a liaison between BLM offices, the National Renewable Energy Coordination Office, and the Director of the BLM.
The Ombudsman will provide dispute resolution services for geothermal project applicants.
The Task Force can assign personnel from other Departmental bureaus to assist with geothermal authorizations.
The Ombudsman may offer retention allowances to reassigned employees.
Requires the Ombudsman to submit an annual report on geothermal permit processing effectiveness.

Who is affected

Bureau of Land Management
Geothermal Energy Project Applicants
Federal Permitting Agencies
Energy Industry
Government Employees

Notable changes

Positions across the country

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

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Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

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Legislative history

2025-09-30House

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

2025-09-30

Introduced in House

2025-09-30

Introduced in House

2025-12-09House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Passage without roll call

The official record shows passage by unanimous consent or voice vote where no roll call was taken. No member-level tally is available for these steps, and the district map does not apply.

6/2/2026HouseVoice vote
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
6/2/2026Voice vote
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Floor votes and chamber actions

Recorded roll calls list how each member voted. Unanimous consent or voice vote appears in the official action history without a roll call; no member-level tally is available for those steps.

Passage without roll call

6/2/2026HouseVoice vote
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
6/2/2026Voice vote
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

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Sep 30, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

H. R. 5631

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A BILL

To appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman and establish a Geothermal Permitting Task Force from within the Bureau of Land Management, and for other purposes.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act

2.Geothermal ombudsman and permitting task force

(a)Definitions

In this section:

(1)Geothermal authorization

The term geothermal authorization means any license, permit, approval, finding, determination, or other administrative decision issued by the Bureau of Land Management and any interagency consultation that is required or authorized under Federal law in order to site, construct, reconstruct, or commence operations of a geothermal energy project administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

(2)Geothermal energy projectThe term geothermal energy project means a project wholly or partially located on public land that uses geothermal energy to generate heat or electricity.

(3)Public Land

The term public land means lands subject to geothermal leasing under section 3 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1002).

(4)Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(5)Task force

The term Task Force means the Geothermal Permitting Task Force established under subsection (c).

(b)Geothermal ombudsman

(1)In general

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall appoint from within the Bureau of Land Management a Geothermal Ombudsman.

(2)Duties

The Geothermal Ombudsman appointed under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

act as a liaison between—

(i)

the individual field, district, and State offices of the Bureau of Land Management;

(ii)

the Division Chief of the National Renewable Energy Coordination Office of the Bureau of Land Management; and

(iii)

the Director of the Bureau of Land Management;

(B)

provide dispute resolution services between the individual field, district, and State offices of the Bureau of Land Management and applicants for geothermal authorizations;

(C)

monitor and facilitate permit processing practices and timelines across individual field offices of the Bureau of Land Management;

(D)

develop best practices for the permitting and leasing process for geothermal resources; and

(E)

coordinate with the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council.

(c)Geothermal permitting task force

(1)Establishment

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish within the Bureau of Land Management a Geothermal Permitting Task Force.

(2)Leadership

The Task Force shall be headed by the Geothermal Ombudsman appointed under subsection (b).

(3)Permitting support

The Task Force shall support the duties of the Geothermal Ombudsman appointed under subsection (b).

(4)Cross-office personnel assignments

(A)In general

In their capacity as head of the Task Force, the Geothermal Ombudsman may assign personnel from any Departmental bureaus and offices with relevant expertise to assist with completion of geothermal authorizations in field, district, or State offices other than the official duty station where such personnel are located if—

(i)

the Geothermal Ombudsman determines that such assignment will not materially delay ongoing completion of authorizations within the office where the employee is located; and

(ii)

the Geothermal Ombudsman receives approval from the head of the official duty station where the assigned employee is located.

(B)Assigned personnel requirements

Department personnel assigned to assist with completion of geothermal authorizations under subparagraph (A) shall—

(i)

work in-person full-time at an official Department office;

(ii)

if necessary as determined by the Geothermal Ombudsman, travel to the Bureau of Land Management field, district, or State office with jurisdiction over the geothermal authorization to which the employee has been assigned by the Geothermal Ombudsman;

(iii)

participate as part of the team of personnel working on geothermal authorizations to which the employee has been assigned by the Geothermal Ombudsman; and

(iv)

regularly report to the head of the field, district, or State office of the Bureau of Land Management with jurisdiction over geothermal authorizations to which the employee has been assigned by the Geothermal Ombudsman.

(C)Retention allowances

(i)In general

Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Geothermal Ombudsman may pay a retention allowance to an employee assigned to assist with the completion of geothermal authorizations under subparagraph (A). Retention allowances—

(I)

shall be stated as the percentage of the rate of basic pay of an employee, and may not exceed 25 percent of such rate of basic pay;

(II)

may not be considered to be part of the basic pay of an employee, and the reduction or elimination of a retention allowance may not be appealed; and

(III)

shall be paid at the same time and in the same manner as the employee’s basic pay is paid.

(ii)Considerations

In exercising the retention allowance authority described in clause (i), the Geothermal Ombudsman shall consider—

(I)

an employee’s specialized expertise related to geothermal authorizations;

(II)

the demonstrated need to retain an employee to meet the performance improvement objectives for geothermal authorization timelines and develop best practices for completion of geothermal authorizations; and

(III)

the difficulty in recruiting or replacing qualified personnel with relevant expertise related to geothermal authorizations.

(D)Savings clause

Cross-office personnel assignments carried out under this paragraph shall not alter the underlying jurisdiction of other offices of the Bureau of Land Management over applicable geothermal authorizations.

(d)Report

The Geothermal Ombudsman shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives an annual report that describes the activities of the Task Force and evaluates the effectiveness of geothermal permit processing during the preceding 1-year period.

HR 5631