CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

August Pfluger (R-TX)

Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026

H.R. 8990 · House bill Environmental Protection

A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 29 cosponsors

Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In committee

Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.

The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.

Its path through Congress

  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

This bill is known as the Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026. It changes the Clean Air Act to exclude marginal wells from certain standards of performance and other requirements. Under the bill, marginal wells and their owners or operators will not face requirements for monitoring, reporting, record-keeping, conducting fugitive emission surveys, detecting or repairing leaks, or estimating or measuring emissions. State plans submitted to the Administrator are also barred from including standards of performance for marginal wells. Furthermore, any pending enforcement actions related to these requirements for a marginal well must be terminated upon the enactment of the Act.

Yes· 3 of 9

  • Scored +7

    Would business owners be better off under this?

    Owners of marginal oil and gas wells benefit significantly from the removal of costly regulatory and monitoring requirements.

  • Scored +7

    Does this make it easier to run a small business?

    The bill directly benefits small independent domestic oil and gas operators by exempting marginal wells from stringent Clean Air Act requirements.

  • Scored +5

    Does this leave more decisions to the states?

    The bill gives states greater flexibility to exempt marginal wells from standards in their state plans.

The opposite

  • Scored -5

    Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change?

    Exempting marginal wells from Clean Air Act performance and monitoring standards could lead to higher unmitigated emissions.

  • Scored -5

    Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?

    Rolling back air quality standards and terminating pending enforcement actions weakens overall environmental safeguards.

  • Scored -2

    Does this give the federal government more power?

    The bill limits federal administrative oversight and enforcement flexibility regarding certain state air plans.