[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 705 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 705

To protect the fisheries of Bristol Bay, Alaska, by purchasing certain 
                  oil leases, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 27, 1993

 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred 
jointly to the Committees on Natural Resources and Merchant Marine and 
                               Fisheries

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To protect the fisheries of Bristol Bay, Alaska, by purchasing certain 
                  oil leases, 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 ``Bristol Bay Fisheries Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For the purposes of this Act--
            (1) terms defined in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 
        have the meaning given such terms in that Act;
            (2) the term ``North Aleutian Basin Planning Area'' means 
        the area so named and designated in the Department of the 
        Interior Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas and Oil Resources 
        Management Comprehensive Program 1992-1997 Proposal, dated July 
        25, 1991;
            (3) the term ``preleasing activities'' means activities 
        conducted before a lease sale is held, and includes the 
        scheduling of a lease, requests for industry interest, calls 
        for information and nominations, area identifications, 
        publication of draft or final environmental impact statements, 
        notices of sale, and any form of rotary drilling; but such term 
        does not include environmental, geologic, geophysical, 
        economic, engineering, or other scientific analysis, studies, 
        and evaluations;
            (4) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.

SEC. 3 RELATIONSHIP TO OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LEASING PROGRAM AND 
              EXISTING LAW.

    (a) Notwithstanding the Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program 
maintained by the Secretary pursuant to section 18 of the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) or any lease sale schedule 
contained in a specific leasing program thereunder, the Secretary shall 
carry out such program consistent with the provisions of this Act.
    (b) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act, nothing 
in this Act shall be construed to affect the application of other 
Federal law to activities conducted on the Outer Continental Shelf.

SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE NORTH ALEUTIAN 
              BASIN PLANNING AREA.

    In the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area, the additional 
restrictions and requirements in this section shall apply:
            (1) No preleasing activity shall be conducted before the 
        issuance of the first final 5-year leasing plan under section 
        18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act after January 1, 
        2002.
            (2)(A) Notwithstanding the requirements of section 5(a)(2) 
        (A) and (B) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
        1334(a)(2) (A) and (B)), the Secretary, within 90 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, shall cancel any active 
        leases in the area.
            (B) Before the cancellation required under subparagraph 
        (A), no exploration or development plans or permits to drill 
        shall be approved for any such lease in existence on the date 
        of enactment of this Act.
            (C) Compensation to lessees owning leases that are canceled 
        under subparagraph (A) shall be determined under section 
        5(a)(2) (C) and (D) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 
        (43 U.S.C. 1334 (a)(2) (C) and (D)).

SEC. 5. CANCELLATION OF LEASES.

    Section 5(a)(2)(B) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 
U.S.C. 1334(a)(2)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``or pursuant to an Act of Congress'' 
        after ``by the Secretary''; and
            (2) by striking ``five'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``two''.

SEC. 6. COMPENSATION FOR LEASE BUYBACKS.

    Section 5(a)(2) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1334(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C); 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) that compensation a lessee is entitled to 
                receive under subparagraph (C) may be made in the form 
                of currency, forgiveness of the lessee's obligations to 
                pay rents or royalties which would otherwise be paid to 
                the Federal Government on another lease issued pursuant 
                to this Act or the Mineral Leasing Act, or a 
                combination of currency with such forgiveness.''.

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