[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1143 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1143

      To achieve greater national energy independence by limiting 
    presidential withdrawals of offshore lands from disposition for 
 exploration, development, or production of oil and gas, to authorize 
   States to petition for authorization to conduct offshore oil and 
 natural gas exploration and extraction in any area that is within 50 
  miles of the coastline of the State and within the seaward lateral 
    boundaries of the State extended, to share offshore oil and gas 
             revenues with States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2009

 Mr. Poe of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To achieve greater national energy independence by limiting 
    presidential withdrawals of offshore lands from disposition for 
 exploration, development, or production of oil and gas, to authorize 
   States to petition for authorization to conduct offshore oil and 
 natural gas exploration and extraction in any area that is within 50 
  miles of the coastline of the State and within the seaward lateral 
    boundaries of the State extended, to share offshore oil and gas 
             revenues with States, 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 ``Developing Resources Immediately and 
Long-Term through Leases on Our Nation's Offshore Waters Act of 2009'' 
or the ``DRILL NOW Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. REVOCATION OF EXISTING PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY.

    Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1341(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``the President'' and inserting ``(1) 
        Except as provided in paragraph (2), the President''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following: , are hereby 
        revoked.
    ``(2)(A) The President may not withdraw any lands of the outer 
Continental Shelf from disposition for exploration, development, or 
production of oil and gas, except as the President determines necessary 
for national security purposes.
    ``(B) This paragraph shall not affect any withdrawal in effect 
immediately before the enactment of the DRILL NOW Act of 2009''.

SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN AREAS FOR LEASING.

    Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(q) Availability of Certain Areas for Leasing.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Coastal zone.--The term `coastal zone' has 
                the meaning that term has in section 304 of the Coastal 
                Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453).
                    ``(B) Governor.--The term `Governor' means the 
                Governor of a State.
                    ``(C) 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 the DRILL NOW Act of 2009 for natural gas 
                exploration and extraction activities authorized by the 
                Secretary under this subsection.
            ``(2) Petition.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Governor of a State may 
                submit to the Secretary a petition requesting that the 
                Secretary issue leases authorizing the conduct of oil 
                and natural gas exploration and extraction activities 
                in any area that is within 50 miles of the coastline of 
                the State and within the lateral seaward boundaries of 
                the State extended.
                    ``(B) Contents.--In any petition under subparagraph 
                (A), the Governor shall include a detailed plan of the 
                proposed exploration and extraction activities, as 
                applicable.
            ``(3) Action by secretary.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraphs (B), 
                (C), and (D), as soon as practicable after the date of 
                receipt of a petition under paragraph (2), the 
                Secretary shall approve or deny the petition.
                    ``(B) Requirements for exploration and 
                extraction.--The Secretary shall not approve a petition 
                submitted under paragraph (2)(A) unless the State 
                enacts a statute authorizing the issuance of leases for 
                exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas in 
                the coastal zone of the State.
                    ``(C) Consistency with legislation.--The plan 
                provided in the petition under paragraph (2)(B) shall 
                be consistent with the statute described in 
                subparagraph (B).
                    ``(D) Conflicts with military operations and 
                national security.--The Secretary shall not approve a 
                petition for a drilling activity under this paragraph--
                            ``(i) if the drilling activity would 
                        conflict with any military operation or 
                        national security, as determined by the 
                        President; or
                            ``(ii) in any area that is withdrawn under 
                        section 12(a) for national security purposes.
            ``(4) Disposition of revenues.--Notwithstanding section 9, 
        for each applicable fiscal year, the Secretary of the 
        Treasury--
                    ``(A) shall deposit 30 percent of qualified 
                revenues in a separate account in the Treasury, which--
                            ``(i) shall be known as the Clean and 
                        Alternative Energy Fund; and
                            ``(ii) shall be available to the Secretary 
                        of Energy for making grants for research and 
                        development of clean and alternative energy;
                    ``(B) in the case of a lease tract any portion of 
                which is located within 50 miles of the coastline of 
                one or more States that have a portion of such leased 
                tract within the seaward lateral boundaries of such 
                State extended--
                            ``(i) shall pay, in accordance with clause 
                        (ii), an amount equal to 40 percent of 
                        qualified revenues under such lease to the 
                        States with respect to which the lease tract is 
                        so located and that have enacted a statute that 
                        establishes a plan for expenditure of those 
                        funds; and
                            ``(ii) shall pay to each such State a 
                        portion of such amount that is proportional to 
                        the portion of the lease tract that is so 
                        located with respect to the State; and
                    ``(C) shall deposit the remainder of qualified 
                revenues in the general fund of the Treasury.
    ``(r) Payment of Revenues Under Certain Existing Leases.--Of the 
funds that would be received by the United States as royalties under 
any Federal oil and gas lease of an area on the outer Continental Shelf 
located within 50 miles of the coastline of the State of Texas, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama that is in effect on the date of 
enactment of the DRILL NOW Act of 2009 the Secretary of the Treasury--
            ``(1) shall deposit 30 percent in the Clean and Alternative 
        Energy Fund established under subsection (q)(4)(A);
            ``(2) in the case of a lease tract any portion of which is 
        located within 50 miles of the coastline of one or more such 
        States that have a portion of such leased tract within the 
        seaward lateral boundaries of such State extended--
                    ``(A) shall pay, in accordance with subparagraph 
                (B), an amount equal to 40 percent to the States with 
                respect to which the lease tract is so located and that 
                have enacted a statute that establishes a plan for 
                expenditure of those funds; and
                    ``(B) shall pay to each such State a portion of 
                such amount that is proportional to the portion of the 
                leased tract that is so located with respect to the 
                State; and
            ``(3) shall deposit the remainder in the general fund of 
        the Treasury.''.
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