I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1372 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 5, 2011 Mr. Goodlatte (for himself, Mr. Rigell, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Hurt, and Mr. Griffith of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil and natural gas exploration, leasing, and drilling activities on the outer Continental Shelf offshore the State of Virginia, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Virginia Access to Energy Act or the VA Energy Act .

2.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Coastal zone

The term coastal zone has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331). (2)

Lease Sale 220

The term Lease Sale 220 means the sale of Federal oil and gas exploration leases in the outer Continental Shelf planning area located off the coast of the State. (3)

Qualified revenues

The term qualified revenues means all rentals, royalties, bonus bids, and other sums due and payable to the United States— (A)under leases entered into under this Act; or (B)under other oil and gas leases of areas of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia. (4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (5)

State

The term State means the State of Virginia.

3.

Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing off the coast of the State of Virginia

(a)

In general

As soon as practicable, but not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall carry out the Lease Sale 220 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337). (b)

Prohibition on conflicts with military operations

The Secretary shall not make any tract available for lease under this Act if the President, in consultation with the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, determines that the lease of that tract would create an unreasonable conflict with military operations.

4.

Disposition of revenues

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding section 9 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1338) and subject to the provisions of this section, for each applicable fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit— (1)50 percent of any qualified revenues in the general fund of the Treasury, which shall be applied solely to reduce the outstanding Federal debt; and (2)50 percent of any qualified revenues in a special account in the Treasury to be used for the purposes described subsection (b). (b)

Disposition of revenues to State

Of the qualified revenues described in subsection (a)(2)— (1)75 percent shall be disbursed to the State; (2)12.5 percent— (A)shall be used, without further appropriation, to provide financial assistance to the State in accordance with section 6 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–8); and (B)shall be considered income to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for purposes of section 2 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 460l–5); and (3)12.5 percent shall be deposited in a separate account in the Treasury that shall be used, without further appropriation, by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Governor of the State, to mitigate for any environmental damage that occurs as a result of extraction activities authorized under oil and gas leases issued under this Act, regardless of whether the damage is— (A)reasonably foreseeable; or (B)caused by negligence or a natural disaster.