[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3576 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3576

  To prohibit the issuance of any lease or other authorization by the 
    Federal Government that authorizes exploration, development, or 
  production of oil or natural gas in any marine national monument or 
 national marine sanctuary or in the fishing grounds known as Georges 
                Bank in the waters of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 25 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

Mr. Kerry (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit the issuance of any lease or other authorization by the 
    Federal Government that authorizes exploration, development, or 
  production of oil or natural gas in any marine national monument or 
 national marine sanctuary or in the fishing grounds known as Georges 
                Bank in the waters of the United States.

    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 ``Georges Bank Preservation Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON LEASING IN CERTAIN FEDERAL PROTECTED AREAS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal 
law, no lease or other authorization may be issued by the Federal 
Government that authorizes exploration, development, or production of 
oil or natural gas in--
            (1) any marine national monument or national marine 
        sanctuary; or
            (2) the fishing grounds known as Georges Bank in the waters 
        of the United States, which is 1 of the largest and most 
        historically important fishing grounds of the United States.
    (b) Identification of Coordinates of Georges Bank.--The Secretary 
of Commerce, after publication of public notice and an opportunity for 
public comment, shall identify the specific coordinates that delineate 
Georges Bank in the waters of the United States for purposes of 
subsection (a).
                                 <all>