# 119-s-4975: HEATS Act

119-s-4975, HEATS Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND); status in_committee (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4975
- 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-4975
- Congress: 119
- Title: HEATS Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-07-14
- Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Waives the federal drilling permit for certain geothermal projects on non‑Federal surface estates** when the United States owns less than 50% of the subsurface and the operator holds a State permit. The bill narrows federal environmental and historic reviews while preserving federal royalty rules and allowing federal inspections. - Operators and developers: If the United States owns less than 50% of the subsurface and an operator submits a State permit to the Secretary, work may begin 30 days after submission. The activity is not treated as a major federal action under NEPA and is not subject to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. - State governments and permitting: State permits become the controlling approval for covered projects on non‑Federal surface estates. National Historic Preservation Act review applies only where the State has no applicable historic preservation law. - Tribes and federal interests: The rule does not apply to Indian lands or trust resources. Royalties from electricity production and any byproducts remain due to the United States and the Secretary may conduct onsite reviews and inspections to verify production and payments.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT), 2026-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (R-UT), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tribal lands excluded from waiver: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would say the permit‑waiver framework does not apply to actions on "Indian land" or to resources held in trust for tribes. The bill would define "Indian land" to include reservations, pueblos, rancherias, and lands held in trust or subject to restrictions, and land of dependen…
- Easier geothermal permits for some projects: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would stop the Secretary from requiring a federal drilling permit for some geothermal exploration and production on non‑Federal surface estates. To qualify, the United States must own less than 50% of the underground geothermal estate and the operator must give the Secretary a…

## Related bills

- 119-s-117: AMERICANS Act
- 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act
- 119-s-4429: Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026
- 119-s-1756: Conscience Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025
- 119-s-186: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-4975 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4975)

## Related
- [119-s-117: AMERICANS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-117)
- [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752)
- [119-s-4429: Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4429)
- [119-s-1756: Conscience Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1756)
- [119-s-587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-587)
- [119-s-186: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-186)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4975 (as of 2026-09-10).