113 HR 1965 RH: Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2013-11-12
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act
.2.The table of contents for this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title.Sec. 2. Table of contents.Sec. 3. Policies regarding buying, building, and working for America.Title I—Onshore oil and gas permit streamliningSec. 101. Short title.Subtitle A—Application for Permits to Drill Process ReformSec. 111. Permit to drill application timeline.Sec. 112. Solar and wind right-of-way rental reform.Subtitle B—Administrative Protest Documentation ReformSec. 121. Administrative protest documentation reform.Subtitle C—Permit StreamliningSec. 131. Improve Federal energy permit coordination.Sec. 132. Administration of current law.Subtitle D—Judicial ReviewSec. 141. Definitions.Sec. 142. Exclusive venue for certain civil actions relating to covered energy projects.Sec. 143. Timely filing.Sec. 144. Expedition in hearing and determining the action.Sec. 145. Standard of review.Sec. 146. Limitation on injunction and prospective relief.Sec. 147. Limitation on attorneys’ fees.Sec. 148. Legal standing.Subtitle E—Knowing America’s Oil and Gas ResourcesSec. 151. Funding oil and gas resource assessments.Title II—Oil and gas leasing certaintySec. 201. Short title.Sec. 202. Minimum acreage requirement for onshore lease sales.Sec. 203. Leasing certainty.Sec. 204. Leasing consistency.Sec. 205. Reduce redundant policies.Sec. 206. Streamlined congressional notification.Title III—Oil shaleSec. 301. Short title.Sec. 302. Effectiveness of oil shale regulations, amendments to resource management plans, and record of decision.Sec. 303. Oil shale leasing.Title IV—Miscellaneouis provisionsSec. 401. Rule of construction.3.Policies regarding buying, building, and working for America(a)It is the intent of the Congress that—(1)this Act will support a healthy and growing United States domestic energy sector that, in turn, helps to reinvigorate American manufacturing, transportation, and service sectors by employing the vast talents of United States workers to assist in the development of energy from domestic sources;(2)to ensure a robust onshore energy production industry and ensure that the benefits of development support local communities, under this Act, the Secretary shall make every effort to promote the development of onshore American energy, and shall take into consideration the socioeconomic impacts, infrastructure requirements, and fiscal stability for local communities located within areas containing onshore energy resources; and(3)the Congress will monitor the deployment of personnel and material onshore to encourage the development of American manufacturing to enable United States workers to benefit from this Act through good jobs and careers, as well as the establishment of important industrial facilities to support expanded access to American resources.(b)The Secretary of the Interior shall when possible, and practicable, encourage the use of United States workers and equipment manufactured in the United States in all construction related to mineral resource development under this Act.<enum>I</enum><header>Onshore oil and gas permit streamlining</header><section id="HE04682C5D9F649DD89BE65944AD4FFE8" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>101.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This title may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2013</short-title></quote>.</text></section><subtitle id="HD2C365148069421EAFA57229D17D74F8"><enum>A</enum><header>Application for Permits to Drill Process Reform</header><section id="H55F92B1AD52949ECA1359E76BEAACDB7"><enum>111.</enum><header>Permit to drill application timeline</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 17(p)(2) of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/226">30 U.S.C. 226(p)(2)</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text><quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="HCCE4FA6139A044C8922254E877BE4D1C" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC"><paragraph id="HE1FC80E48F3A46D7A980D07A5A4A5C23"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Applications for permits to drill reform and process</header><subparagraph id="H3E2C5A1777934383BC84C6A40E7EBFE9"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Timeline</header><text>The Secretary shall decide whether to issue a permit to drill within 30 days after receiving an application for the permit. The Secretary may extend such period for up to 2 periods of 15 days each, if the Secretary has given written notice of the delay to the applicant. The notice shall be in the form of a letter from the Secretary or a designee of the Secretary, and shall include the names and titles of the persons processing the application, the specific reasons for the delay, and a specific date a final decision on the application is expected.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H557A49F103744E4893C697C6233CBE23"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Notice of reasons for denial</header><text>If the application is denied, the Secretary shall provide the applicant—</text><clause id="H632AEAB8F94949A19FEE40F661FAB579"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in writing, clear and comprehensive reasons why the application was not accepted and detailed information concerning any deficiencies; and</text></clause><clause id="H4D9BDB907F77435EAB8EDD948B12C26F"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>an opportunity to remedy any deficiencies.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H305FDA5E9B36431FA7D1769918E25A23"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Application deemed approved</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Secretary has not made a decision on the application by the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date the application is received by the Secretary, the application is deemed approved, except in cases in which existing reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>) or Endangered Species Act of 1973 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1531">16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.</external-xref>) are incomplete.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3CD793D02DD44B18AA0E8B066C5581DA"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Denial of permit</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Secretary decides not to issue a permit to drill in accordance with subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—</text><clause id="HC38BEC6E09D3462ABF1B991C085112F7"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">provide to the applicant a description of the reasons for the denial of the permit;</text></clause><clause id="H3EA20342B78447A991FC191952627404"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">allow the applicant to resubmit an application for a permit to drill during the 10-day period beginning on the date the applicant receives the description of the denial from the Secretary; and</text></clause><clause id="H5EA1BDA1C554433EA99300C1CA4F1E5D"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>issue or deny any resubmitted application not later than 10 days after the date the application is submitted to the Secretary.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H15CE747E6463475D802930A6C64653F7"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Fee</header><clause id="H81ECB24DC4F44E7D81F6558DBFD23552"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary shall collect a single $6,500 permit processing fee per application from each applicant at the time the final decision is made whether to issue a permit under subparagraph (A). This fee shall not apply to any resubmitted application.</text></clause><clause id="H937F604545204C09B0A11481BF059CA1"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Treatment of permit processing fee</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Of all fees collected under this paragraph, 50 percent shall be transferred to the field office where they are collected and used to process protests, leases, and permits under this Act subject to appropriation.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="H62BFD816559345609B2E27D484178371"><enum>112.</enum><header>Solar and wind right-of-way rental reform</header><subsection id="HB0E9A1ADECA94EFA8B814F645109D67E"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to subsection (b), and notwithstanding any other provision of law, of fees collected each fiscal year as annual wind energy and solar energy right-of-way authorization fees required under section 504(g) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1764">43 U.S.C. 1764(g)</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="HE09737E17FA742D9957544E553DA2EFF"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">no less than 25 percent shall be available, subject to appropriation, for use for solar and wind permitting and management activities by Department of the Interior field offices responsible for the land where the fees were collected;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H028D1710E8AF4278B61069F18C9DAA18"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">no less than 25 percent shall be available, subject to appropriation, for Bureau of Land Management solar and wind permit approval activities; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HDC7E7039FA7647E69EE1A42860B57DAE"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">no less than 25 percent shall be available, subject to appropriation, to the Secretary of the Interior for department-wide solar and wind permitting activities.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD7D4E960DB4A437CA6A7DA44D61E7830"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Limitation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The amount used under subsection (a) each fiscal year shall not exceed $10,000,000.</text></subsection></section></subtitle><subtitle id="H805E4AF2337A467091A627DA1FEBAE90"><enum>B</enum><header>Administrative Protest Documentation Reform</header><section id="HB188C72D265746BF88B535468B921594"><enum>121.</enum><header>Administrative protest documentation reform</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 17(p) of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/226">30 U.S.C. 226(p)</external-xref>) is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="HEDD8A9199BE44840B075973ABB0C9CA2" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC"><paragraph id="HE7E75CBB7D674588938F519DE5FE0B4E"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Protest fee</header><subparagraph id="HD2B5530F4BDF450DB89B580C58F651AC"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary shall collect a $5,000 documentation fee to accompany each protest for a lease, right of way, or application for permit to drill.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H8E646D2ED36E4632A5F812ACBEA962ED"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Treatment of fees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Of all fees collected under this paragraph, 50 percent shall remain in the field office where they are collected and used to process protests subject to appropriation.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section></subtitle><subtitle id="H76A6654E10A24929A8D5BFFE950C2672"><enum>C</enum><header>Permit Streamlining</header><section id="HDEAF4D4BE561437285C26B547C15FE30"><enum>131.</enum><header>Improve Federal energy permit coordination</header><subsection id="H7F40093D7333408B874C0876E5614B11"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the <quote>Secretary</quote>) shall establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project (referred to in this section as the <quote>Project</quote>) in every Bureau of Land Management field office with responsibility for permitting energy projects on Federal land.</text></subsection><subsection id="H9176AE64FEE0495CB0F460A423B61125"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Memorandum of understanding</header><paragraph id="H6FF16D968F6B4D9BBD46FF29D451FE08"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for purposes of this section with—</text><subparagraph id="HF233EB6EE9DE497798BD68587C18A435"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Secretary of Agriculture;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD1F541102DC745ACB0C568F9CC8BE62C"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2B8C8E4B3CAE4FEAA0BAA8C9FF24FC38"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HAB53559C56BE4F6AABAEA2744D5C63F1"><enum>(2)</enum><header>State participation</header><text>The Secretary may request that the Governor of any State with energy projects on Federal lands to be a signatory to the memorandum of understanding.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H088384EE3B2344CDBA909929BBB34E0A"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Designation of qualified staff</header><paragraph id="H493452D11E0048E7900DDFFD51267D96"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 30 days after the date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding under subsection (b), all Federal signatory parties shall, if appropriate, assign to each of the Bureau of Land Management field offices an employee who has expertise in the regulatory issues relating to the office in which the employee is employed, including, as applicable, particular expertise in—</text><subparagraph id="HCFBB0392125D47729300211A11BF71E2"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the consultations and the preparation of biological opinions under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1536">16 U.S.C. 1536</external-xref>);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HEB72187866364D86861B9C706D548E89"><enum>(B)</enum><text>permits under section 404 of Federal Water Pollution Control Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/1344">33 U.S.C. 1344</external-xref>);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H80E4D1A3738E4DD3B1F7AC01AD015F49"><enum>(C)</enum><text>regulatory matters under the Clean Air Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/7401">42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.</external-xref>);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF7E85CE3897A428685464E3BD2FF4459"><enum>(D)</enum><text>planning under the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/472a">16 U.S.C. 472a et seq.</external-xref>); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA675AB1785FA4201A65AD3B23C083EA4"><enum>(E)</enum><text>the preparation of analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HDB48AA489B37455B9071D81CE5DAE406"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Duties</header><text>Each employee assigned under paragraph (1) shall—</text><subparagraph id="HE0756679BFBF472BBCFC98FBEB02D9BC"><enum>(A)</enum><text>not later than 90 days after the date of assignment, report to the Bureau of Land Management Field Managers in the office to which the employee is assigned;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF284B40FE8A34AAB8897CEDFDAE4BDB0"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">be responsible for all issues relating to the energy projects that arise under the authorities of the employee’s home agency; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD69D5E285C114C14A18E1768F4565482"><enum>(C)</enum><text>participate as part of the team of personnel working on proposed energy projects, planning, and environmental analyses on Federal lands.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H48868C92A4FB47478A7C2983020B0785"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Additional personnel</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall assign to each Bureau of Land Management field office identified in subsection (a) any additional personnel that are necessary to ensure the effective approval and implementation of energy projects administered by the Bureau of Land Management field offices, including inspection and enforcement relating to energy development on Federal land, in accordance with the multiple use mandate of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1701">43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.</external-xref>).</text></subsection><subsection id="H33490F62883142BEBD53F916B544C40A"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>Funding for the additional personnel shall come from the Department of the Interior reforms identified in sections 101, 102, and 201.</text></subsection><subsection id="H6244CFCA00494CB4B54BB7DF2A817B88"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Savings provision</header><text>Nothing in this section affects—</text><paragraph id="HBE556946974E4A029E207E986E5DAF4D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the operation of any Federal or State law; or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HE920F91E78DF452EBA0B62DADA6665E9"><enum>(2)</enum><text>any delegation of authority made by the head of a Federal agency whose employees are participating in the Project.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H419B8B34FA8E45C5862C0DB58F8E87BD"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Definition</header><text>For purposes of this section the term <term>energy projects</term> includes oil, natural gas, coal, and other energy projects as defined by the Secretary.</text></subsection></section><section id="H8F408987DF964BB89B863F74DE86A7E1"><enum>132.</enum><header>Administration of current law</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of the Interior shall not require a finding of extraordinary circumstances in administering section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/15942">42 U.S.C. 15942</external-xref>).</text></section></subtitle><subtitle id="HE39870E816EA40D7B207458ECECB9BBB"><enum>D</enum><header>Judicial Review</header><section id="H667FDED65B5A42D29894D01C5F62E0A9"><enum>141.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this subtitle—</text><paragraph id="HDCDE73E9700B4513AA76B30215282F78"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the term <term>covered civil action</term> means a civil action containing a claim under <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/5/702">section 702</external-xref> of title 5, United States Code, regarding agency action (as defined for the purposes of that section) affecting a covered energy project on Federal lands of the United States; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HDA46212FFDAD4EF489E0952A5BFF3C81"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the term <term>covered energy project</term> means the leasing of Federal lands of the United States for the exploration, development, production, processing, or transmission of oil, natural gas, wind, or any other source of energy, and any action under such a lease, except that the term does not include any disputes between the parties to a lease regarding the obligations under such lease, including regarding any alleged breach of the lease.</text></paragraph></section><section id="HBF6580B8E21F4E3CBBEA3FB508B7C52B"><enum>142.</enum><header>Exclusive venue for certain civil actions relating to covered energy projects</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Venue for any covered civil action shall lie in the district court where the project or leases exist or are proposed.</text></section><section id="H2448260AB2A64ECC871221445304012D"><enum>143.</enum><header>Timely filing</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">To ensure timely redress by the courts, a covered civil action must be filed no later than the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the final Federal agency action to which it relates.</text></section><section id="H7D36F041E5364324952C82C1E87BA711"><enum>144.</enum><header>Expedition in hearing and determining the action</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The court shall endeavor to hear and determine any covered civil action as expeditiously as possible.</text></section><section id="H887BE06CB4CA424096A40321ACD3D218"><enum>145.</enum><header>Standard of review</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In any judicial review of a covered civil action, administrative findings and conclusions relating to the challenged Federal action or decision shall be presumed to be correct, and the presumption may be rebutted only by the preponderance of the evidence contained in the administrative record.</text></section><section id="HA2D2E44E3F1E4849A38CDC5A634F54E3"><enum>146.</enum><header>Limitation on injunction and prospective relief</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In a covered civil action, the court shall not grant or approve any prospective relief unless the court finds that such relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, and is the least intrusive means necessary to correct that violation. In addition, courts shall limit the duration of preliminary injunctions to halt covered energy projects to no more than 60 days, unless the court finds clear reasons to extend the injunction. In such cases of extensions, such extensions shall only be in 30-day increments and shall require action by the court to renew the injunction.</text></section><section id="HD3A2A1C3348544E0A7ACA9650417DC7F"><enum>147.</enum><header>Limitation on attorneys’ fees</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Sections 504 of title 5, United States Code, and 2412 of title 28, United States Code, (together commonly called the Equal Access to Justice Act) do not apply to a covered civil action, nor shall any party in such a covered civil action receive payment from the Federal Government for their attorneys’ fees, expenses, and other court costs.</text></section><section id="HF8584D78A79C401490ACBBE5662CC4CF"><enum>148.</enum><header>Legal standing</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Challengers filing appeals with the Department of the Interior Board of Land Appeals shall meet the same standing requirements as challengers before a United States district court.</text></section></subtitle><subtitle id="H23975F9652DC4E29BC341F66AC9062F7"><enum>E</enum><header>Knowing America’s Oil and Gas Resources</header><section id="HD85D215803C149A4B490EEAC35E9B8C3"><enum>151.</enum><header>Funding oil and gas resource assessments</header><subsection id="H90D1C5D511EF45D3B712DE500EEFB166"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of the Interior shall provide matching funding for joint projects with States to conduct oil and gas resource assessments on Federal lands with significant oil and gas potential.</text></subsection><subsection id="HF639869E61F545A9BEDA2BA0094DCA79"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Cost sharing</header><text>The Federal share of the cost of activities under this section shall not exceed 50 percent.</text></subsection><subsection id="H8E4D52160E554FC8A485EB55FE5DD86D"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Resource assessment</header><text>Any resource assessment under this section shall be conducted by a State, in consultation with the United States Geological Survey.</text></subsection><subsection id="HF19FCA3F374E4E89B31C28B25FA54845"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section a total of $50,000,000 for fiscal years 2014 through 2017.</text></subsection></section></subtitle><enum>II</enum><header>Oil and gas leasing certainty</header><section id="HEAF362FDA3944D7BB103BFA817F9EE79" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>201.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This title may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 2013</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="H2F8FA53C9929482987149FE0F31EA584"><enum>202.</enum><header>Minimum acreage requirement for onshore lease sales</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In conducting lease sales as required by section 17(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/226">30 U.S.C. 226(a)</external-xref>), each year the Secretary of the Interior shall perform the following:</text><paragraph id="H1C13EA20E68F40DF8A8B4C7E0B173D38"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The Secretary shall offer for sale no less than 25 percent of the annual nominated acreage not previously made available for lease. Acreage offered for lease pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject to protest and shall be eligible for categorical exclusions under section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/15942">42 U.S.C. 15942</external-xref>), except that it shall not be subject to the test of extraordinary circumstances.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HCFA5E79EB116400088D3A9A0570E8661"><enum>(2)</enum><text>In administering this section, the Secretary shall only consider leasing of Federal lands that are available for leasing at the time the lease sale occurs.</text></paragraph></section><section id="H079F47B9E3B84CF4A4F9BF4DA06BF02C"><enum>203.</enum><header>Leasing certainty</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 17(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/226">30 U.S.C. 226(a)</external-xref>) is amended by inserting <quote>(1)</quote> before <quote>All lands</quote>, and by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="H6F81A1F15A06483A8E6AA00423E5514C" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC"><paragraph id="H8DCA45F18EDC4528A7C70A836C1AB06A" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="HFDB0CE87DF2A4F1FB76E5245B26783F7"><enum>(A)</enum><text>The Secretary shall not withdraw any covered energy project issued under this Act without finding a violation of the terms of the lease by the lessee.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="HA960A5AFA20C4828B75994546E9FD8A1" indent="up1" reported-display-style="italic"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The Secretary shall not infringe upon lease rights under leases issued under this Act by indefinitely delaying issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, and rights of way for activities under such a lease.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph changed="added" committee-id="HII00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HE6E49D9E84AE4AF187F5EA3595BB6A39" indent="up1" reported-display-style="italic"><enum>(C)</enum><text>No later than 18 months after an area is designated as open under the current land use plan the Secretary shall make available nominated areas for lease under the criteria in section 2.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="H91262301378345CF913E6A513B071B28" indent="up1" reported-display-style="italic"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary shall issue all leases sold no later than 60 days after the last payment is made.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="H786E134E65064B24B7D635B4946746DA" indent="up1" reported-display-style="italic"><enum>(E)</enum><text>The Secretary shall not cancel or withdraw any lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and a winning bidder has submitted the last payment for the parcel.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="HD1A014BCACCB47DB9E4494462F56670D" indent="up1" reported-display-style="italic"><enum>(F)</enum><text>Not later than 60 days after a lease sale held under this Act, the Secretary shall adjudicate any lease protests filed following a lease sale. If after 60 days any protest is left unsettled, said protest is automatically denied and appeal rights of the protestor begin.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph changed="added" committee-id="HII00" id="H451D347F118B4B78BDDE07FC523F8DC0" indent="up1" reported-display-style="italic"><enum>(G)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No additional lease stipulations may be added after the parcel is sold without consultation and agreement of the lessee, unless the Secretary deems such stipulations as emergency actions to conserve the resources of the United States.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="H2D5502141FC644A4AFF181E433302276"><enum>204.</enum><header>Leasing consistency</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Federal land managers must follow existing resource management plans and continue to actively lease in areas designated as open when resource management plans are being amended or revised, until such time as a new record of decision is signed.</text></section><section id="H8AAA7E60BC2F4129967CD1166CA4BCC9"><enum>205.</enum><header>Reduce redundant policies</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Bureau of Land Management Instruction Memorandum 2010–117 shall have no force or effect.</text></section><section id="H0024ACEE8653462CB546975552B07C1E"><enum>206.</enum><header>Streamlined congressional notification</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 31(e) of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/188">30 U.S.C. 188(e)</external-xref>) is amended in the matter following paragraph (4) by striking <quote>at least thirty days in advance of the reinstatement</quote> and inserting <quote>in an annual report</quote>.</text></section><enum>III</enum><header>Oil shale</header><section id="H309C58277C0B468DA76C1D007D0B4E2C" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>301.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This title may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act</short-title></quote> or the <quote><short-title>PIONEERS Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="H5C551D4C3112433C9DCED3F3DA339346"><enum>302.</enum><header>Effectiveness of oil shale regulations, amendments to resource management plans, and record of decision</header><subsection id="H3A51C19C146E441EA6CF8FEC675AFFA8"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other law or regulation to the contrary, the final regulations regarding oil shale management published by the Bureau of Land Management on November 18, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 69,414) are deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements under any law, including the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1701">43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.</external-xref>), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1531">16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.</external-xref>), and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>), and the Secretary of the Interior shall implement those regulations, including the oil shale leasing program authorized by the regulations, without any other administrative action necessary.</text></subsection><subsection id="HAE260A9CA9784A729897FE18FDC40B4B"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Amendments to resource management plans and record of decision</header><text>Notwithstanding any other law or regulation to the contrary, the November 17, 2008 U.S. Bureau of Land Management Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision for Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements under any law, including the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1701">43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.</external-xref>), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1531">16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.</external-xref>), and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>), and the Secretary of the Interior shall implement the oil shale leasing program authorized by the regulations referred to in subsection (a) in those areas covered by the resource management plans amended by such amendments, and covered by such record of decision, without any other administrative action necessary.</text></subsection></section><section id="H84191C6C672D4948B114498B543F1096"><enum>303.</enum><header>Oil shale leasing</header><subsection id="H3768AB982BD8470CBB3C389FC8E4AB82"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Additional research and development lease sales</header><text>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).</text></subsection><subsection id="H552BA3AB5F074A17923C84A88AF9A474"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Commercial lease sales</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No later than January 1, 2016, the Secretary of the Interior shall hold no less than 5 separate commercial lease sales in areas considered to have the most potential for oil shale development, as determined by the Secretary, in areas nominated through public comment. Each lease sale shall be for an area of not less than 25,000 acres, and in multiple lease blocs.</text></subsection></section><enum>IV</enum><header>Miscellaneouis provisions</header><section id="H241D4DADEA9D40D2AEC64579C7804E48"><enum>401.</enum><header>Rule of construction</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the issuance of a lease under the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/181">30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.</external-xref>) to any person designated for the imposition of sanctions pursuant to—</text><paragraph id="H9B7F638F3702442B96428A0916701C46"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/1701">50 U.S.C. 1701</external-xref> note), the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestiture Act of 2010 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/8501">22 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.</external-xref>), the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/8701">22 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.</external-xref>), section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/8513a">22 U.S.C. 8513a</external-xref>), or the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/8801">22 U.S.C. 8801 et seq.</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H5688B9B70F2B4ED49C6012A95A0DE24E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Executive Order 13622 (July 30, 2012), Executive Order 13628 (October 9, 2012), or Executive Order 13645 (June 3, 2013);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H787190F208CC42B9B6CC76F252E4606B"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Executive Order 13224 (September 23, 2001) or Executive Order 13338 (May 11, 2004); or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H3DECE4821CFD480FAC3521E899CC27C1"><enum>(4)</enum><text>the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2151">22 U.S.C. 2151</external-xref> note).</text></paragraph></section>November 12, 2013Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendmentNovember 12, 2013The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed