[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6256 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6256

    To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annual 
 production incentive fee with respect to Federal onshore and offshore 
lands that are subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas 
 under which production is not occurring, to authorize use of amounts 
    received as such fee for energy efficiency and renewable energy 
                   projects, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2008

  Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Hinchey, Mrs. 
  Capps, Ms. Castor, Mr. Chandler, Mr. McGovern, Mr. George Miller of 
   California, Mr. Olver, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Welch of Vermont, Mr. 
    Yarmuth, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Hodes, Mrs. 
 Gillibrand, and Mr. Frank of Massachusetts) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
   addition to the Committees on Science and Technology, Energy and 
  Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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 direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annual 
 production incentive fee with respect to Federal onshore and offshore 
lands that are subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas 
 under which production is not occurring, to authorize use of amounts 
    received as such fee for energy efficiency and renewable energy 
                   projects, 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 ``Responsible Ownership of Public 
Lands Act''.

SEC. 2. PRODUCTION INCENTIVE FEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior shall, within 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, issue regulations to 
establish an annual production incentive fee with respect to Federal 
onshore and offshore lands that are subject to a lease for production 
of oil or natural gas under which production is not occurring. Such fee 
shall apply with respect to lands that are subject to such a lease that 
is in effect on the date final regulations are promulgated under this 
subsection or that is issued thereafter.
    (b) Amount.--The amount of the fee shall be, for each acre of land 
from which oil or natural gas is produced for less than 90 days in a 
calendar year--
            (1) for each of the first 3 years of the lease, $5 per acre 
        in 2008 dollars;
            (2) for the fourth year of the lease, $25 per acre in 2008 
        dollars; and
            (3) for the fifth year of the lease and each year 
        thereafter for which the lease is otherwise in effect, $50 per 
        acre in 2008 dollars.
    (c) Assessment and Collection.--The Secretary shall assess and 
collect the fee established under this section.
    (d) Regulations.--The Secretary of the Interior may issue 
regulations to prevent evasion of the fee under this section.

SEC. 3. ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the Treasury of 
the United States a separate account which shall be known as the 
``Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund'' (in this section 
referred to as the ``Fund''). There shall be deposited into the Fund 
amounts received by the United States in the form of fees under this 
Act.
    (b) Use.--Amounts in the Fund shall be available, subject to 
appropriations, as follows each fiscal year:
            (1) Wind energy research and development.--$65,000,000 for 
        necessary expenses for a program to support the development of 
        next-generation wind turbines, including turbines capable of 
        operating in areas with low wind speeds, as authorized in 
        section 931(a)(2)(B) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
        U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)(B)).
            (2) Solar energy research and development.--$100,000,000 
        for necessary expenses for a program to accelerate the 
        research, development, demonstration, and deployment of solar 
        energy technologies, and public education and outreach 
        materials pursuant to such program, as authorized by section 
        931(a)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
        16231(a)(2)(A)).
            (3) Low income weatherization.--The Secretary of the 
        treasury shall transfer $200,000,000 to the account 
        ``Weatherization Assistance Program'', for a program to 
        weatherize low income housing, as authorized by section 411 of 
        the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 
        110-140).
            (4) Building and lighting energy efficiency research and 
        development.--$70,000,000 for necessary expenses for a program 
        to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and 
        deployment of new technologies to improve the energy efficiency 
        of and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, as 
        authorized in section 321(g) of the Energy Independence and 
        Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 6295 note), section 422 of the 
        Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17082), 
        and section 912 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
        16192).
            (5) Energy storage for transportation and electric power.--
                    (A) $30,000,000 for necessary expenses for a 
                program to accelerate basic research on energy storage 
                systems to support electric drive vehicles, stationary 
                applications, and electricity transmission and 
                distribution, as authorized by section 641(p)(1) of the 
                Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
                17231(p)(1)).
                    (B) $70,000,000 including--
                            (i) $30,000,000 for a program to accelerate 
                        applied research on energy storage systems to 
                        support electric drive vehicles, stationary 
                        applications, and electricity transmission and 
                        distribution as authorized by section 641(p)(2) 
                        of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 
                        2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231(p)(2));
                            (ii) $20,000,000 for energy storage systems 
                        demonstrations as authorized by section 
                        641(p)(4) of the Energy Independence and 
                        Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231(p)(4)); 
                        and
                            (iii) $20,000,000 for vehicle energy 
                        storage systems demonstrations as authorized by 
                        section 641(p)(5) of the Energy Independence 
                        and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
                        17231(p)(5)).
            (6) Advanced vehicles research, development, and 
        demonstration.--$40,000,000 for necessary expenses for 
        research, development, and demonstration on advanced, cost-
        effective technologies to improve the energy efficiency and 
        environmental performance of vehicles, as authorized in section 
        911(a)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
        16191(a)(2)(A)).
            (7) Audits, investigation, and environmental mitigation.--
        $50,000,000 for audits, investigation, and environmental 
        mitigation for oil and gas by the Department of Interior.
            (8) Low-income home energy assistance program.--The 
        remainder for use for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 
        Program.
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