Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas Relief Act - States that all provisions of federal law that prohibit the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf are without any force or effect.
Revokes all withdrawals from leasing of federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf, including withdrawals by the President under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
States such withdrawals are no longer in effect with respect to the leasing of areas for natural gas exploration, development, and production.
Prohibits granting a gas lease for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf located within 20 miles of a state's coastline unless the Governor grants state approval.
Directs the Secretary of Energy, in each five-year oil and gas leasing program, to include lease sales that when viewed as a whole propose to offer for gas leasing at least 75% of the available unleased acreage within each Outer Continental Shelf planning area.
Sets forth a scheme for bonus bids and royalties that affects: (1) new and existing gas leases; and (2) leased tracts lying partially within the seaward boundaries of a state.
Permits leases that authorize development and production solely of natural gas and associated condensate, including leases for program years 2002-2007, and for program years 2007-2012.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4318 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4318
To terminate the effect of all provisions of Federal law that prohibit
the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing
and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf,
to terminate all withdrawals of Federal submerged lands of the Outer
Continental Shelf from leasing for exploration for, and development and
production of, natural gas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 15, 2005
Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Abercrombie)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and
Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To terminate the effect of all provisions of Federal law that prohibit
the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing
and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf,
to terminate all withdrawals of Federal submerged lands of the Outer
Continental Shelf from leasing for exploration for, and development and
production of, natural gas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas
Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF PROHIBITIONS ON EXPENDITURES FOR, AND
WITHDRAWALS FROM, OFFSHORE GAS LEASING.
(a) Prohibitions on Expenditures.--All provisions of Federal law
that prohibit the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural
gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer
Continental Shelf shall have no force or effect.
(b) Revocation Withdrawals.--All withdrawals of Federal submerged
lands of the Outer Continental Shelf from leasing, including
withdrawals by the President under the authority of section 12(a) of
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1341(a)), are hereby
revoked and are no longer in effect with respect to the leasing of
areas for exploration for, and development and production of, natural
gas.
SEC. 3. OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LEASING PROGRAM.
(a) State Approval Requirements.--The Outer Continental Shelf Lands
Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 9
the following:
``SEC. 10. STATE APPROVAL REQUIREMENT WITH RESPECT TO GAS LEASING.
``The Secretary may not grant any gas lease for any area of the
outer Continental Shelf that is located within 20 miles of the
coastline of a State unless the Governor of the State notifies the
Secretary that the State approves of the granting of such a lease for
such area.''.
(b) Minimum Area Subject to Gas Leasing.--
(1) Requirement.--Section 18(a) of the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344(a)) is amended by inserting
after the second sentence the following: ``The Secretary shall,
in each 5-year program, include lease sales that when viewed as
a whole propose to offer for gas leasing at least 75 percent of
the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental
Shelf planning area.''.
(2) Application.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
apply with respect to the 5-year Outer Continental Shelf gas
leasing program in effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act, and to each such 5-year program thereafter.
SEC. 4. SHARING OF REVENUES.
(a) In General.--Section 8(g) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands
Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(g)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2) by striking ``Notwithstanding'' and
inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (6), and
notwithstanding'';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs
(7) and (8); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
``(6) Bonus bids and royalties after september 30, 2006.--
``(A) New gas leases.--Of amounts received by the
United States as bonus bids and royalties under new
Federal gas leases on submerged lands that are located
within the seaward boundaries of a State established
under section 4(a)(2)(A)--
``(i) 40 percent shall be paid to the
State; and
``(ii) 10 percent shall be available for
the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act
of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.).
``(B) Existing gas leases.--Of amounts received by
the United States as bonus bids and royalties under
existing Federal gas leases on submerged lands that are
located within the seaward boundaries of a State
established under section 4(a)(2)(A), there shall be
paid to the State--
``(i) in the case of amounts received in
the first full fiscal year after the date of
the enactment of the Outer Continental Shelf
Natural Gas Relief Act, 10 percent;
``(ii) in the case of amounts received in
the second full fiscal year after such date of
enactment, 20 percent;
``(iii) in the case of amounts received in
the third full fiscal year after such date of
enactment, 30 percent; and
``(iv) in the case of amounts received in
the fourth full fiscal year after such date of
enactment and each fiscal year thereafter, 40
percent.
``(C) Leased tract that lies partially within the
seaward boundaries of a state.--In the case of a leased
tract that lies partially within the seaward boundaries
of a State, the amounts of bonus bids and royalties
from such tract that are subject to subparagraph (A) or
(B), as applicable, with respect to such State shall be
a percentage of the total amounts of bonus bids and
royalties from such tract that is equivalent to the
total percentage of surface acreage of the tract that
lies within such seaward boundaries.
``(D) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Existing federal gas lease.--The term
`existing Federal gas lease' means a gas lease
under this Act granted before the date of the
enactment of the Outer Continental Shelf
Natural Gas Relief Act.
``(ii) New federal gas lease.--The term
`new Federal gas lease' means a gas lease under
this Act granted on or after the date of the
enactment of the Outer Continental Shelf
Natural Gas Relief Act.
``(E) Application.--This paragraph shall apply to
bonus bids and royalties received by the United States
after September 30, 2006,''.
(b) Establishment of State Seaward Boundaries.--Section 4(a)(2)(A)
of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1333(a)(2)(A)) is
amended in the first sentence by striking ``, and the President'' and
all that follows through the end of the sentence and inserting the
following: ``. Such extended lines are deemed to be as indicated on the
maps for each outer Continental Shelf region entitled `Alaska OCS
Region State Adjacent Zone and OCS Planning Areas', `Pacific OCS Region
State Adjacent Zones and OCS Planning Areas', `Gulf of Mexico OCS
Region State Adjacent Zones and OCS Planning Areas', and `Atlantic OCS
Region State Adjacent Zones and OCS Planning Areas', all of which are
dated September 2005 and on file in the Office of the Director,
Minerals Management Service.''.
SEC. 5. NATURAL GAS-ONLY LEASING.
Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337)
is amended by adding at the end the following subsection:
``(p) Natural Gas-Only Leasing.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may issue leases under
this section that authorize development and production only of
natural gas and associated condensate in accordance with
regulations promulgated under paragraph (2).
``(2) Regulations.--Before issuing any lease under
paragraph (1), the Secretary must promulgate regulations that--
``(A) define what constitutes natural gas,
condensate, and oil;
``(B) establish the lessee's rights and obligations
regarding condensate produced in association with
natural gas;
``(C) prescribe procedures and requirements that
the lessee of a lease issued under this subsection must
follow if the lessee discovers oil deposits in the
course of exploration or development; and
``(D) establish such other requirements for natural
gas-only leases as the Secretary considers appropriate.
``(3) Application of other laws.--All provisions of this
Act or any other Federal law or regulations that apply to oil
and natural gas leases for the outer Continental Shelf shall
apply to natural gas-only leases authorized under this
subsection.
``(4) Existing leases.--At the request of the lessee of an
oil and gas lease in effect under this section on the date of
enactment of this subsection, and under the requirements
prescribed in regulations promulgated under paragraph (2), the
Secretary may restrict development under such a lease to
natural gas and associated condensate only.
``(5) Oil and gas leasing programs.--
``(A) Program for 2002-2007.--The Secretary may
issue a natural gas-only lease in accordance with this
subsection before June 30, 2007, without amending the
outer Continental shelf leasing program that applies
for the period beginning on the date of the enactment
of this subsection and ending June 30, 2007, if the
Secretary provides public notice and an opportunity to
comment on the proposed notice of sale.
``(B) Program for 2007-2012.--The Secretary may
include provisions regarding issuance of natural gas-
only leases in the outer Continental shelf leasing
program that applies for the 5-year period beginning in
2007, notwithstanding any draft proposal for such
program issued before the date of the enactment of this
subsection.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H10194)
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.