Deep Water Royalty Jurisdiction Act

Deep Water Royalty Jurisdiction Act - Provides that, in any case brought by any person other than a federal department, agency, or instrumentality, no court created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to hear or decide any question pertaining to: (1) the application of a price threshold in determining the volume for which suspension of royalties applies with respect to offshore oil and natural gas leases awarded in the five-year period beginning on November 28, 1995; or (2) the interpretation, or the constitutional validity, of this Act.

Provides that, in any case brought by a federal department, agency, or instrumentality against any person to recover royalties under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, no legal or equitable defense shall be available to the defendant regarding the matters covered by this Act.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5231 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5231

 To limit Federal court jurisdiction over certain suits pertaining to 
  the application of a price threshold in determining the volume for 
 which suspension of royalties applies to certain offshore oil and gas 
                                leases.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2006

   Mr. Issa (for himself, Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia, Mr. Hunter, Mr. 
    Souder, Mr. Calvert, Mrs. Bono, and Mr. Keller) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To limit Federal court jurisdiction over certain suits pertaining to 
  the application of a price threshold in determining the volume for 
 which suspension of royalties applies to certain offshore oil and gas 
                                leases.

    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 ``Deep Water Royalty Jurisdiction 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON FEDERAL COURT JURISDICTION OVER QUESTIONS 
              PERTAINING TO ROYALTIES UNDER CERTAIN OFFSHORE OIL AND 
              GAS LEASES.

    (a) Limitation on Certain Jurisdiction.--In any case brought by any 
person other than a department, agency, or instrumentality of the 
United States, no court created by Act of Congress shall have any 
jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate 
jurisdiction, to hear or decide any question pertaining to--
            (1) the application of a price threshold in determining the 
        volume for which suspension of royalties applies under section 
        8(a)(1)(H) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
        1337(a)(1)(H)) and section 304 of Public Law 104-58 (43 U.S.C. 
        1337 note) with respect to leases awarded in the 5-year period 
        beginning on November 28, 1995; or
            (2) the interpretation of, or the validity under the 
        Constitution of, this section.
    (b) Certain Defenses not Available.--In any case brought by a 
department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States against any 
person to recover royalties under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands 
Act, no legal or equitable defense shall be available to the defendant 
regarding the matters referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection 
(a).
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