[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 927 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 927

    To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annual 
 production incentive fee with respect to Federal onshore and offshore 
lands that are subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas 
    under which production is not occurring, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 2011

 Mr. Markey (for himself and Mr. Holt) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annual 
 production incentive fee with respect to Federal onshore and offshore 
lands that are subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas 
    under which production is not occurring, 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 ``United States Exploration on Idle 
Tracts Act'' or the ``USE IT Act''.

SEC. 2. PRODUCTION INCENTIVE FEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior shall, within 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, issue regulations to 
establish an annual production incentive fee with respect to Federal 
onshore and offshore lands that are subject to a lease for production 
of oil or natural gas under which production is not occurring. Such fee 
shall apply with respect to lands that are subject to such a lease that 
is in effect on the date final regulations are promulgated under this 
subsection or that is issued thereafter.
    (b) Amount.--The amount of the fee shall be, for each acre of land 
from which oil or natural gas is produced for less than 90 days in a 
calendar year--
            (1) in the case of onshore land--
                    (A) for each of the first 3 years of the lease, $4 
                per acre in 2011 dollars;
                    (B) for the fourth year of the lease, $6 per acre 
                in 2011 dollars; and
                    (C) for the fifth year of the lease and each year 
                thereafter for which the lease is otherwise in effect, 
                $8 per acre in 2011 dollars; and
            (2) in the case of offshore land--
                    (A) for each of the third, fourth, and fifth years 
                of the lease, $4 per acre in 2011 dollars;
                    (B) for the sixth year of the lease, $6 per acre in 
                2011 dollars; and
                    (C) for the seventh year of the lease and each year 
                thereafter for which the lease is otherwise in effect, 
                $8 per acre in 2011 dollars.
    (c) Assessment and Collection.--The Secretary shall assess and 
collect the fee established under this section.
    (d) Deposit.--Amounts received by the United States as the fee 
under this section shall be deposited in the general fund of the 
Treasury.
    (e) Regulations.--The Secretary of the Interior may issue 
regulations to prevent evasion of the fee under this section.
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