I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1115 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 23, 2009 Mr. Rehberg introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To repeal a requirement to reduce by 2 percent the amount payable to each State in fiscal year 2008.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Restoring the West’s Fair Share Act of 2009.

2.

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)Congress agreed to give each State a fair share of the receipts generated from mineral development on Federal lands in the State. In essence, the State government and Federal Government were to be partners in the mineral production that takes place on Federal lands. (2)The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110–161) reduces these State receipts by as much as 2 percent for fiscal year 2008. (3)The States have at least as much interest in public lands within their borders as does the central Federal Government. (4)The Federal Government does not pay property taxes for public lands to States or localities in any form approaching financial equity. As a consequence, those States in which there are Federal public land holdings are denied revenues that are needed for necessary public purposes, such as education, roads, and hospitals. This creates a burden on private owners of property. The burden is greater for private owners of property in States with larger Federal public land holdings. (5)The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 will have a negative impact on mineral producing Western States.

3.

Repeal of requirement to deduct from an amount payable to each State

Title I of division F of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 is amended under the heading Minerals Management Service, under the heading administrative provisions, by striking the second sentence.