[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3062 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 3062


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 14, 2003

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the 
 Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand 
          and a lease for oil and 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. COMBINED HYDROCARBON LEASING.

    (a) Special Provisions Regarding Leasing.--Section 17(b)(2) of the 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(2)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(B) The Secretary may issue under this Act for the same area, 
separately--
            ``(i) a lease for exploration for and extraction of tar 
        sand; and
            ``(ii) a lease for exploration for and development of oil 
        and gas.
    ``(C) A lease issued under subparagraph (B)(ii) shall not be 
further subject to the Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981 (30 
U.S.C. 181 et seq.).
    ``(D) A lease issued for tar sand shall be issued using the same 
bidding process, annual rental, and posting period as a lease issued 
for oil and gas, except that the minimum acceptable bid required for a 
lease issued for tar sand shall be $2 per acre.
    ``(E) The Secretary may waive, suspend, or alter any requirement 
under section 26 that a permittee under a permit authorizing 
prospecting for tar sand must exercise due diligence, to promote any 
resource covered by a combined hydrocarbon lease.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 17(b)(1)(B) of the Mineral 
Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(1)(B)) is amended in the second sentence 
by inserting ``, subject to paragraph (2)(B),'' after ``the 
Secretary''.

SEC. 2. REGULATIONS.

    Within 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall issue final regulations to implement 
this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives October 8, 2003.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.