[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2823 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2823

  To amend the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 1999 to provide for the retention and administration of Oil 
          Shale Reserve Numbered 2 by the Secretary of Energy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 9, 1999

  Mr. Cannon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Resources, 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 amend the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 1999 to provide for the retention and administration of Oil 
          Shale Reserve Numbered 2 by the Secretary of Energy.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CONTROL AND 
              ADMINISTRATION OF OIL SHALE RESERVE NUMBERED 2.

    Section 3405 of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261; 112 Stat. 2267; 10 U.S.C. 
7420 note) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 3405. RETENTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF OIL SHALE RESERVE NUMBERED 
              2.

    ``(a) Retention and Administration.--The Secretary of Energy shall 
administer Oil Shale Reserve Numbered 2 in accordance with this section 
and chapter 641 of title 10, United States Code.
    ``(b) Cooperative Management and Resource Assessment.--
            ``(1) Cooperative agreement required.--Within 180 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Energy shall enter into a cooperative management and resources 
        assessment agreement with the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah 
        and Ouray Reservation for the management, administration, and 
        development of Oil Shale Reserve Numbered 2.
            ``(2) Elements.--The cooperative agreement shall recognize 
        and implement the concurrent jurisdictional and governmental 
        authority of the Ute Indian Tribe over the lands comprising Oil 
        Shale Reserve Numbered 2 and provide a framework for the Ute 
        Indian Tribe and the Department of Energy to jointly identify 
        and assess the mineral, natural, cultural, wildlife and 
        religious resources located within Oil Shale Reserve Numbered 
        2.
    ``(c) Oil and Gas Lease.--Within 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall enter into an oil 
and gas lease with the Ute Indian Tribe to explore, prospect, conserve, 
develop, use, operate, market, and sell the petroleum (as defined in 
section 7420 of title 10, United States Code) of Oil Shale Reserve 
Numbered 2. The negotiated lease shall contain standard terms and 
conditions, but the royalty rate of return to the United States shall 
be commensurate with the rate of return realized by the United States 
under oil and gas leases issued and administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management.
    ``(d) Other Commodities.--The Secretary of Energy may enter into 
contracts, leases, or other agreements with the Ute Indian Tribe for 
activities described in subsection (c) with respect to minerals other 
than petroleum, and other commodities such as, but not limited to, 
building stone, on lands within Oil Shale Reserve Numbered 2.
    ``(e) Funding.--From amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization for appropriations in section 3402(a), $2,000,000 shall 
be available for use by the Secretary of Energy in carrying out the 
activities required by this section.
    ``(f) Waiver of Requirements Regarding Consultation and Approval.--
Section 7431 of title 10, United States Code, shall not apply to 
cooperative management, resource assessment, or administration under 
this section.''.
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