I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2540 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 21, 2009 Mr. Lamborn (for himself, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. Chaffetz, Mrs. Lummis, and Mr. Coffman of Colorado) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To set clear rules for the development of United States oil shale resources, to promote shale technology research and development, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Investment in Oil shale the Next generation of Environmental, Energy and Resource Security (PIONEERS) Act.

2.

Oil shale

(a)

Findings

Congress finds that oil shale resources located within the United States— (1)total almost 2 trillion barrels of oil in place; (2)are a strategically important domestic resource that should be developed on an accelerated basis to reduce our growing reliance on politically and economically unstable sources of foreign oil imports; (3)are one of the best resources available for advancing American technology and creating American jobs; and (4)will be a critically important component of the Nation’s transportation fuel sector in particular, by providing a secure domestic source of aviation fuel for both commercial and military uses. (b)

Additional research and development lease sales

The Secretary of the Interior shall hold a lease sale within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act offering an additional 10 parcels for lease for research, development, and demonstration of oil shale resources, under the terms offered in the solicitation of bids for such leases published on January 15, 2009 (74 Fed. Reg. 10). (c)

Application of regulations

The oil shale management final rules published by the Department of the Interior on November 18, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 223), shall apply to all commercial leasing for the management of federally owned oil shale, and any associated minerals, located on Federal lands. (d)

Reduced payments To ensure production

The Secretary of the Interior may temporarily reduce royalties, fees, rentals, bonus, or other payments for leases of Federal lands for the development and production of oil shale resources as necessary to incentivize and encourage development of such resources, if the Secretary determines that the royalties, fees, rentals, bonus bids, and other payments otherwise authorized by law are hindering production of such resources.