[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2253 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2253

 To require the Secretary of the Interior to offer the 181 Area of the 
                Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 7, 2006

 Mr. Domenici (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Talent, and Mr. Dorgan) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of the Interior to offer the 181 Area of the 
                Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing.

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

SECTION 1. OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING IN 181 AREA OF GULF OF MEXICO.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) 181 area.--The term ``181 Area'' means the area 
        identified in map 15, page 58, of the Proposed Final Outer 
        Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 1997-2002 of 
        the Minerals Management Service.
            (2) Military mission line.--The term ``Military Mission 
        Line'' means the north-south line at 8641' W. longitude.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Minerals Management 
        Service.
    (b) Lease Sale.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, the 
Secretary shall offer the 181 Area for oil and gas leasing pursuant to 
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) as soon 
as practicable, but not later than 1 year, after the date of enactment 
of this Act.
    (c) Excluded Areas.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Secretary 
shall not offer for oil and gas leasing--
            (1) any area east of the Military Mission Line, unless the 
        Secretary of Defense agrees in writing before the area is 
        offered for lease that the area can be developed in a manner 
        that will not interfere with military activities; or
            (2) any area that is within 100 miles of the coastline of 
        the State of Florida.
    (d) Leasing Program.--The 181 Area shall be offered for lease under 
this section notwithstanding the omission of the 181 Area from any 
outer Continental Shelf leasing program under section 18 of the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344).
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