More Energy More Jobs Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a new oil and gas leasing program under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) for a five-year period in lieu of the existing Five-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
Terminates the existing Five-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017.
Prescribes requirements for development of proposed new leasing programs. Requires the Secretary to: (1) allow the governor of a coastal state to nominate for leasing any OCS areas adjacent to state waters, (2) include each nominated area in the draft leasing program, and (3) consider the leasing of such areas as an alternative federal action.
Requires the Secretary to include each state-nominated area in the final program unless the impacts of oil and gas development in a particular area cannot be effectively mitigated and the development is not in the national economic interest.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2265 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2265
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing
program under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for
the 5-year period 2016 through 2020, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2013
Mr. Brady of Texas (for himself, Mr. Wittman, and Mr. Shimkus)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing
program under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for
the 5-year period 2016 through 2020, 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 ``More Energy More Jobs Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) More than 85 percent of all offshore areas remain off-
limits to oil and gas exploration. The current plan for
offshore oil and gas development under the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), the Five-Year OCS Oil
and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017, scales back on previous
draft plans by removing the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and areas in
the Atlantic. It also excludes the entire Atlantic Coast, the
entire Pacific Coast, and nearly all of the Eastern Gulf of
Mexico, which have been little explored.
(2) Many State governments have expressed a desire to
proceed with oil and gas exploration and development off their
coasts, but have not had the support of the Federal Government.
(3) The Congress delegated its authority over Federal lands
of the outer Continental Shelf (as that term is defined in the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.)),
including for the offshore oil and gas leasing process, to the
Secretary of the Interior under that Act. The Congress has the
authority to enlarge the role of interested State governments.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO ISSUE NEW 5-YEAR OIL AND GAS LEASING PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 24 months after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall
issue an oil and gas leasing program under section 18 of the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) for the
subsequent 5-year period.
(2) Termination of existing program.--The Five-Year OCS Oil
and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017 shall have no force or
effect after the issuance of an oil and gas leasing program
under this section.
(b) Requirements for Development of New Leasing Programs.--Section
18(c) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344(c)) is
amended by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (5) and
(6), and by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) Development of program.--In preparing each leasing
program under this section, the Secretary shall--
``(A) allow the Governor of a coastal State to
nominate for leasing under such program areas of the
outer Continental Shelf (as that term is used in that
Act) that are adjacent to the waters of that State;
``(B) include each area nominated under
subparagraph (A) in the draft leasing program under
this section and consider leasing of such areas as an
alternative Federal action; and
``(C) include in development of the program
resource estimates that are available, and develop
resource estimates for the areas for which such data
are not available including for the areas nominated
under subparagraph (A).
``(3) Inclusion of state-nominated areas.--The Secretary
shall include in the final program issued under this section
each area nominated by a State under paragraph (2), unless the
Secretary determines that the impacts of oil and gas
development in a particular area cannot be effectively
mitigated and the development is not in the national economic
interest. If the Secretary omits any area nominated under
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall submit to the Governor that
nominated the area and the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives a report detailing why oil and gas
development in such area is not in the national economic
interest or why the impact of oil and gas development in such
area could not be effectively mitigated, and what steps the
Secretary took to try and do so. After submittal of such report
to such Governors, each such Governor shall be provided 60 days
within which to offer alternative views on why the Secretary's
findings are not consistent with the national economic interest
and why oil and gas development in the area concerned can be
effectively mitigated.
``(4) Notice of effectiveness of plan.--The Secretary shall
publish in the Federal Register a notice of the effectiveness
of each oil and gas leasing program issued under this section
on the date such program takes effect.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
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