Coalbed Methane Development Act of 1992
Latest action. See H.R.776.
Coalbed Methane Development Act of 1992 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to publish in the Federal Register a list of States ("affected States") where: (1) there is legal uncertainty regarding methane gas ownership; (2) such uncertainty impedes development of significant deposits of coalbed methane gas; (3) no legal scheme is in effect which permits and encourages coalbed methane gas development prior to the resolution of ownership of the gas; and (4) there is no extensive development of coalbed methane gas. Names West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois as affected States as of enactment of this Act. Requires affected States to establish State agencies or instrumentalities ("State Boards") to promulgate regulations for the expeditious and economical development of coalbed methane gas deposits. Prescribes coalbed gas development and drilling guidelines. Proscribes the drilling of any well for coalbed methane gas production without State Board approval.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on February 5, 1992. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
See H.R.776.
Civibrief does not map this action to a stage in the process. See the official record.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
The latest action on file does not map to a stage Civibrief recognizes, so the page will not name one. The record's own words are the reliable fact here.
The record's latest action, on April 9, 1992: See H.R.776.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 102nd Congress (1991-92), 590 of the 10,511 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 5.6 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one has no outstanding steps listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
NICK RAHALL (D-WV) introduced it on February 5, 1992, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 3 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 5, 1992, 12683 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 12619 days ago, on April 9, 1992.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 102nd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1993 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseSee H.R.776.
- SenateNot stated in the latest action
- PresidentNot stated in the latest action