Disapproval of Arctic refuge oil and gas leasing decision
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision.
Signed into law Dec 11, 2025 · Energy
What this law does
- Opens public land in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing.
- Cancels the Bureau of Land Management's December 2024 decision that made about 1.2 million acres of the refuge's Coastal Plain program area unavailable for leasing.
- Notes that the earlier 2020 decision had made all of the roughly 1.6 million acres available for oil and gas leasing.
Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.
How it became law
- IntroducedOct 10, 2025 · House
- 39 daysPassed HouseNov 18, 2025
- 16 daysPassed SenateDec 4, 2025
- 6 daysPresented to the PresidentDec 10, 2025
- 1 daySigned into lawDec 11, 2025
Official summary
This joint resolution opens public land for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the record of decision (ROD) issued by the Bureau of Land Management on December 9, 2024, for the program that leases, develops, produces, and transports oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plain program area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The 2024 ROD that is being nullified by this resolution replaced the 2020 ROD that made all of the approximately 1.6 million acres of the program area available for oil and gas leasing. The 2024 ROD made approximately 1.2 million acres unavailable for leasing or exploration in order to protect and conserve resources and certain uses in these areas. However, the 2024 ROD requires the statutory minimum of 400,000 acres to be made available for oil and gas leasing in a specified lease sale, subject to certain stipulations and operating procedures. Under current law, those acres must be located in the areas with the highest potential for the discovery of hydrocarbons.
Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Introduced in House, Oct 10, 2025).
Who wrote it
Sponsor: Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
0 cosponsors. 0 signed on the day it was introduced.
Recorded votes
| Date | Chamber | Vote | Yeas | Nays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 2025 | House | On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 209 (Roll no. 295). | 217 | 209 |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Senate | Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 45. Record Vote Number: 632. | 49 | 45 |
What was added
Amendments adopted (0)
No floor amendments were adopted. Any changes were made in committee or in a later version of the bill.
Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Introduced in House) (0)
None. Every section heading in the final law was already in the first version (Introduced in House).
What was removed
Sections in the first version (Introduced in House) that did not make it into the law (0)
None. Every section heading from the first version (Introduced in House) remains in the law.
Compared by section heading between the Introduced in House text (Oct 10, 2025) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.
Proposed but not adopted
No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.
Full action history
Show all 24 official actions
| Dec 11, 2025 | Signed by President. |
| Dec 11, 2025 | Signed by President. |
| Dec 11, 2025 | Became Public Law No: 119-52. |
| Dec 11, 2025 | Became Public Law No: 119-52. |
| Dec 10, 2025 | Presented to President. |
| Dec 10, 2025 | Presented to President. |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S8500) |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 45. Record Vote Number: 632. |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 45. Record Vote Number: 632. |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Message on Senate action sent to the House. |
| Nov 19, 2025 | Received in the Senate, read twice. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 209 (Roll no. 295). (text: CR H4750) |
| Nov 18, 2025 | On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 209 (Roll no. 295). (text: CR H4750) |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4760) |
| Nov 18, 2025 | POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.J. Res. 131, the Chair put the question on passage of the joint resolution and by voice vote announced the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Huffman demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.J. Res. 131. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Rule provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 80, H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131, H. Con. Res. 58, H.R. 1949, H.R. 3109, H.R. 5107 and H.R. 5214. The resolution provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 80, H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131, H. Con. Res. 58, H.R. 1949, H.R. 3109, H.R. 5107, and H.R. 5214 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution also provides for one motion to recommit on H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131, H.R. 1949, H.R. 3109, H.R. 5107, and H.R. 5214, and one motion to commit S.J. Res. 80. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 879. (consideration: CR H4750-4753) |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 879 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 80, H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131, H. Con. Res. 58, H.R. 1949, H.R. 3109, H.R. 5107 and H.R. 5214. The resolution provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 80, H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131, H. Con. Res. 58, H.R. 1949, H.R. 3109, H.R. 5107, and H.R. 5214 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution also provides for one motion to recommit on H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131, H.R. 1949, H.R. 3109, H.R. 5107, and H.R. 5214, and one motion to commit S.J. Res. 80. |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. |
Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.