1.This Act may be cited as the
United States Exploration on Idle
Tracts Act
or the USE IT Act
.
2.
(a)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)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
collectionThe Secretary shall assess and collect the fee
established under this section.
(d)Amounts
received by the United States as the fee under this section shall be deposited
in the general fund of the Treasury.
(e)The
Secretary of the Interior may issue regulations to prevent evasion of the fee
under this section.