# 119-hr-1217: Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025

119-hr-1217, Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] (R-PA); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1217
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-1217
- Congress: 119
- Title: Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-11
- Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] (R-PA)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Environmental Protection
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**More flexibility for states in the orphan well grant program** and a federally funded study of how plugging and remediation affect nearby communities are the bill's main goals. It would remove mandatory methane-measurement requirements for Section 349 grant eligibility, allow pre- or post-plugging monitoring data to count for grant estimates, and set up a National Academies study on community impacts. - States: Grants under Section 349 would no longer require states to measure methane emissions to qualify, and states may use grant funds to collect pre- or post-plugging monitoring data but would not be forced to do so. - Local communities: The National Academies would study how plugging and remediation affect economic development, housing trends, and water quality in areas with substantial plugging activity, and must report findings to Congress within 18 months after the last grant is awarded. - Federal researchers and agencies: The Secretary of the Interior would seek an agreement with the National Academies within 180 days and ensure at least one state from each of five U.S. regions contributes to the study, with required consultation with HUD and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. *The study would be carried out using existing Department of the Interior appropriations rather than creating new mandatory funding.*

## Cosponsors (4)

- Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA), 2025-02-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4] (R-KS), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23] (R-NY), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2025-02-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- National study on orphan well impacts: benefit, low. Within 180 days of enactment, Interior would seek an agreement with the National Academies to study how plugging and cleanup affect local economies, housing, and water. The study would include at least one State from each region (Northeast, Southwest, West, Southeast, Midwest) and consult HUD, the…
- States could skip methane checks for grants: mixed, low. The bill would let States apply for orphan well grants without measuring methane or doing related activities. Estimates could include pre- or post-plugging monitoring data if States choose to collect it. States could use grant funds to pay for that data collection, but would not have to. This would…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7567: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-1217 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1217)

## Related
- [119-hr-7567: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7567)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-979)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1217 (as of 2026-04-21).