[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 204 Introduced in House (IH)]







111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 204

To permanently prohibit oil and gas leasing off the coast of Mendocino, 
 Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties in the State of California, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 2009

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To permanently prohibit oil and gas leasing off the coast of Mendocino, 
 Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties in the State of California, 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 ``Northern California Ocean and 
Coastal Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF OIL AND GAS LEASING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE 
              OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF.

    Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(q) Prohibition of Oil and Gas Leasing in Certain Areas of the 
Outer Continental Shelf.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        this Act or any other law and except as provided in paragraph 
        (2), beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
        conduct of oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related 
        activities is prohibited in areas of the outer Continental 
        Shelf located off the coast of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del 
        Norte Counties in the State of California.
            ``(2) Effect.--Nothing in this subsection affects any 
        rights under leases issued under this Act before the date of 
        enactment of this subsection.''.

SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY OF OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND 
              NATURAL GAS RESOURCES.

    Section 357(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
15912(a)) is amended by inserting after ``Continental Shelf'' the 
following: ``(other than the areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off 
the coast of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in the State of 
California)''.
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