[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3146 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3146

To authorize the exploration of oil and natural gas in coastal areas to 
 reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign energy sources, 
             and to reduce gasoline and natural gas prices.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2008

  Mr. Vitter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the exploration of oil and natural gas in coastal areas to 
 reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign energy sources, 
             and to reduce gasoline and natural gas prices.

    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 ``Energy Needed Offshore Under Gas 
Hikes Act''.

SEC. 2. OIL AND NATURAL GAS LEASING IN NEW PRODUCING AREAS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible producing state.--The term ``eligible 
        producing State'' means--
                    (A) a new producing State; and
                    (B) any other producing State that has, within the 
                offshore administrative boundaries beyond the submerged 
                land of a State, areas available for oil leasing, 
                natural gas leasing, or both.
            (2) New producing area.--The term ``new producing area'' 
        means an area that is--
                    (A) within the offshore administrative boundaries 
                beyond the submerged land of a State; and
                    (B) not available for oil or natural gas leasing as 
                of the date of enactment of this Act.
            (3) New producing state.--The term ``new producing State'' 
        means a State with respect to which a petition has been 
        approved by the Secretary under subsection (b).
            (4) Qualified revenues.--The term ``qualified revenues'' 
        means all rentals, royalties, bonus bids, and other sums due 
        and payable to the United States from leases entered into on or 
        after the date of enactment of this Act for new producing 
        areas.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
    (b) Petition for Leasing New Producing Areas.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, during any period in which the price per gallon of regular 
        gasoline is equal to or greater than $5, the Governor of a 
        State, with the concurrence of the State legislature, may 
        submit to the Secretary a petition requesting that the 
        Secretary make a new producing area of the State eligible for 
        oil leasing, gas leasing, or both, as determined by the State, 
        in accordance with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 
        U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) and the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 
        et seq.).
            (2) Natural gas leasing only.--The Governor of a State, 
        with the concurrence of the State legislature, may, in a 
        petition submitted under paragraph (1), make a request to allow 
        natural gas leasing only.
            (3) Action by secretary.--As soon as practicable after the 
        date on which the Secretary receives a petition under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the petition.
    (c) Disposition of Qualified Outer Continental Shelf Revenues From 
Eligible Producing States.--Notwithstanding section 9 of the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1338), for each applicable 
fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit--
            (1) 45 percent of qualified revenues in the general fund of 
        the Treasury; and
            (2) 55 percent of qualified revenues in a special account 
        in the Treasury, from which the Secretary shall disburse--
                    (A) 37.5 percent to eligible producing States for 
                new producing areas, to be allocated in accordance with 
                subsection (d)(1);
                    (B) 12.5 percent to provide financial assistance to 
                States in accordance with section 6 of the Land and 
                Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-8); 
                and
                    (C) 5 percent to States for historic offshore 
                production distribution.
    (d) Allocation to Eligible Producing States.--
            (1) In general.--The amount made available under subsection 
        (c)(2)(A) shall be allocated to eligible producing States in 
        amounts (based on a formula established by the Secretary by 
        regulation) that are inversely proportional to the respective 
        distances between the point on the coastline of each eligible 
        producing State that is closest to the geographic center of the 
        applicable leased tract and the geographic center of the leased 
        tract, as determined by the Secretary.
            (2) Use.--Amounts allocated to an eligible producing State 
        under paragraph (1) shall be used to address the impacts of any 
        oil and natural gas exploration and production activities under 
        this section.
    (e) Effect.--Nothing in this section affects--
            (1) the amount of funds otherwise dedicated to the land and 
        water conservation fund established under section 2 of the Land 
        and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-5); or
            (2) any authority that permits energy production under any 
        other provision of law.
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