[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3722 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3722

To authorize and require the President of the United States to allocate 
 crude oil, residual fuel oil, and refined petroleum products to deal 
 with existing or imminent shortages and dislocations in the national 
distribution system, which jeopardize the national economy, and public 
                      health, safety, and welfare.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 8, 2005

Ms. Slaughter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize and require the President of the United States to allocate 
 crude oil, residual fuel oil, and refined petroleum products to deal 
 with existing or imminent shortages and dislocations in the national 
distribution system, which jeopardize the national economy, and public 
                      health, safety, and welfare.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) shortages of crude oil, residual fuel oil, and refined 
        petroleum products caused by inadequate domestic production, 
        damages to refineries caused by Hurricane Katrina, increased 
        demand for world oil, and the threat of supply disruption due 
        to continued violence in the Middle East, now exist or are 
        imminent;
            (2) such shortages have created or will create severe 
        economic dislocations and hardships, including loss of jobs, 
        closing of businesses, and the curtailment of vital public 
        services; and
            (3) such hardships and dislocations jeopardize the normal 
        flow of commerce and constitute a national energy crisis which 
        is a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare and can 
        be averted or minimized through prompt action of the Executive 
        Branch of the Government.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to grant to the President 
of the United States and direct him to exercise temporary authority to 
deal with shortages or dislocations of crude oil, residual fuel oil, 
and refined petroleum products in their national distribution system. 
The authority granted under this Act shall be exercised for the purpose 
of minimizing the adverse impacts of such shortages or dislocations on 
the American people and the domestic economy.

SEC. 2. REGULATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 10 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the President shall promulgate a regulation providing for 
the temporary mandatory allocation of crude oil. Included in this 
regulation shall be a provision stipulating that the retail sale of 
gasoline may not exceed $2.50 per gallon.
    (b) Provisions.--The regulation under subsection (a), to the 
maximum extent practicable, shall provide for--
            (1) protection of public health, safety, and welfare 
        (including maintenance of residential heating and cooling), and 
        the national defense and homeland security;
            (2) maintenance of all public services (including 
        facilities and services provided by municipally, cooperatively, 
        or investor-owned utilities by any State or local government or 
        authority, and including transportation facilities and services 
        which serve the public at large;
            (3) maintenance of agricultural operations;
            (4) the prevention of undue economic harm to the retail and 
        wholesale industry;
            (5) preservation of an economically sound and competitive 
        petroleum industry;
            (6) economic efficiency;
            (7) minimization of economic distortion, inflexibility, and 
        unnecessary interference with market mechanisms;
            (8) protection of the environment; and
            (9) energy conservation.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS.

    (a) Report to Congress.--The President shall report to Congress not 
later than 30 days after the promulgation of allocation regulations 
under section 2.
    (b) Changes in Allocations.--The President may change the 
allocation of crude oil, residual oil, and refined petroleum products 
as often as necessary, after notification to the Congress.
    (c) Criteria.--The President shall direct the Secretary of Energy 
to develop criteria for determining the length of the mandatory 
allocation of crude oil, residual oil, and refined petroleum products 
under this Act, not to exceed one year.
    (d) Future Fuel Emergencies.--The Secretary of Energy shall develop 
criteria for declaring a fuel emergency in the future. In the event of 
such an emergency, the authority for mandatory allocation of crude oil, 
residual oil, and refined petroleum products under this Act shall be 
revived.
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