Methane Pollution Accountability Act

H.R. 10065, the Methane Pollution Accountability Act, would require that royalties on gas produced from federal land and the outer Continental Shelf be assessed on all gas extracted—including gas that is vented, flared, or lost through negligent equipment releases during operations—rather than only on gas that is sold. Exceptions apply for emergency venting or flaring lasting no more than 48 hours, gas consumed on-site for lease operations, and gas that is unavoidably lost. The bill would apply to leases issued after its enactment. It also directs the Bureau of Land Management to keep enforcing the existing 2024 "Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation" rule, and bars the agency from finalizing a pending 2026 proposed rule on oil and gas royalty losses, or any other rule revising the 2024 rule, unless the BLM Director certifies that the new rule would further reduce natural gas waste or improve air quality and public health.

The bill primarily affects companies holding or seeking new oil and gas leases on federal land and offshore waters, who would face royalty obligations on a broader share of produced gas, as well as the Bureau of Land Management, which would have added enforcement and rulemaking constraints.

The bill was introduced in the House on August 6, 2026, by Rep. Luz Rivas along with two cosponsors, and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. It would need to be considered and approved by that committee, then pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President, before becoming law.

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