# 119-s-4605: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026

119-s-4605, Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4605
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4605
- Congress: 119
- Title: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-05-20
- Sponsor: Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Authorizes cost recovery for geothermal leasing** by letting the Department of the Interior require applicants and leaseholders to reimburse reasonable administrative and inspection costs for processing leases and overseeing geothermal operations. The authority would run from enactment through September 30, 2032 and includes a required report after five years. - Lease applicants and holders: Could be required to reimburse the United States for processing applications and related approvals and for inspecting and monitoring activities such as geophysical exploration, drilling, plugging, abandonment, construction, operation, termination, and reclamation. - Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management: Would be able to collect those reimbursements as discretionary offsetting collections credited to DOI accounts, with funds available only if Congress provides appropriations. The Secretary may reduce required reimbursements for economic hardship or to promote greater use and must consider any cooperative cost-share agreement. - Geothermal industry and stakeholders: Must be consulted for a report to Congress within 5 years assessing how the cost-recovery authority affected the geothermal program and recommending whether to reauthorize or revise the authority and the Bureau of Land Management program.

## Provisions PRIA read

- New fees for geothermal lease applicants: cost, low. This bill would allow the Secretary of the Interior to require applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases to reimburse the United States for reasonable administrative and inspection costs. The authority would run from the date of enactment through September 30, 2032. Reimbursable processing i…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act

## Sources
- [119-s-4605 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4605)

## Related
- [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4605 (as of 2026-09-10).