[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1279 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1279

To provide for revenue sharing of qualified revenues from leases in the 
         South Atlantic planning area, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 11, 2015

Mr. Warner (for himself, Mr. Scott, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Perdue, 
 and Mr. Isakson) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
     and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for revenue sharing of qualified revenues from leases in the 
         South Atlantic planning area, 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 ``Southern Atlantic Energy Security 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (3) Qualified revenues.--The term ``qualified revenues'' 
        means all bonus bids, rentals, and royalties (and other sums) 
        due and payable to the United States from all leases entered 
        into after the date of enactment of this Act that cover an area 
        in the South Atlantic planning area.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) South atlantic planning area.--The term ``South 
        Atlantic planning area'' means the area of the outer 
        Continental Shelf (as defined in section 2 of the Outer 
        Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331)) that is located 
        between the northern lateral seaward administrative boundary of 
        the Commonwealth of Virginia and the southernmost lateral 
        seaward administrative boundary of the State of Georgia.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the following 
        States:
                    (A) Georgia.
                    (B) North Carolina.
                    (C) South Carolina.
                    (D) Virginia.

SEC. 3. PRESERVING COASTAL VIEWSHEDS.

    (a) In General.--Prior to conducting a lease sale authorized under 
this Act that would offer leases within 30 nautical miles of the 
coastline, the Secretary shall consult with the Governor of each 
potentially affected State to establish appropriate lease stipulations 
for the management of the surface occupancy of the areas between the 
coastline and 30 nautical miles to mitigate any potential concerns 
regarding impacts to coastal viewsheds.
    (b) Considerations for Production Facilities.--The Secretary and 
the State shall consider--
            (1) restricting the installation of permanent surface 
        production facilities above the waterline for the purpose of 
        production of oil or gas resources in any area that is within 
        12 nautical miles seaward from the coastline of the State;
            (2) allowing only subsurface production facilities to be 
        installed in areas that are located between the point that is 
        12 nautical miles from seaward from the coastline of the State 
        and the point that is 30 nautical miles seaward from the 
        coastline of the State.
    (c) Development and Production Plan Approval.--If permanent surface 
facilities are proposed to be installed within 30 nautical miles of the 
coastline, the Secretary shall not grant approval of the development 
and production plan unless it is determined that the facility is 
designed so that the impacts on coastal viewsheds are minimized, to the 
maximum extent practicable.
    (d) Onshore Access to Leases Not Restricted.--Notwithstanding any 
other provision of this section, onshore facilities associated with the 
drilling, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of 
the South Atlantic planning area within 12 nautical miles seaward of 
the coastline of a State are allowed.
    (e) Temporary Activities Not Affected.--Nothing described in 
subsection (a), (b), or (c) restricts, or gives the States authority to 
restrict, temporary surface activities related to operations associated 
with outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases.

SEC. 4. 2017-2022 LEASING PROGRAM.

    The Secretary shall--
            (1) include the South Atlantic planning area in the outer 
        Continental Shelf leasing program for fiscal years 2017 through 
        2022 prepared under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf 
        Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344); and
            (2) conduct in the South Atlantic planning area--
                    (A) 1 lease sale during fiscal year 2021; and
                    (B) 2 lease sales during fiscal year 2022.

SEC. 5. BALANCING OF MILITARY AND ENERGY PRODUCTION GOALS.

    (a) In General.--In recognition that the outer Continental Shelf 
oil and gas leasing program and the domestic energy resources produced 
under the program are integral to national security, the Secretary and 
the Secretary of Defense shall work jointly in implementing lease sales 
under this Act--
            (1) to preserve the ability of the Armed Forces of the 
        United States to maintain an optimum state of readiness through 
        continued use of the outer Continental Shelf; and
            (2) to allow effective exploration, development, and 
        production of the oil, gas, and renewable energy resources of 
        the United States.
    (b) Prohibition on Conflicts With Military Operations.--
            (1) In general.--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 conflict with military operations 
        relating to national security.
            (2) Actions by persons.--No person may engage in any 
        exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas 
        on the outer Continental Shelf under a lease issued under this 
        Act that would conflict with any military operation, as 
        determined in accordance with--
                    (A) the agreement entitled ``Memorandum of 
                Agreement between the Department of Defense and the 
                Department of the Interior on Mutual Concerns on the 
                Outer Continental Shelf'' and dated July 20, 1983; and
                    (B) any revision or replacement for the agreement 
                described in subparagraph (A) that is agreed to by the 
                Secretary of Defense and the Secretary during the 
                period beginning on July 21, 1983, and ending on the 
                day before the date of issuance of the lease under 
                which the exploration, development, or production is 
                conducted.

SEC. 6. DISPOSITION OF REVENUES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 9 of the Outer Continental 
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1338), for each of fiscal years 2017 through 
2022, the Secretary shall deposit--
            (1) 50 percent of any qualified revenues in the general 
        fund of the Treasury; and
            (2) 50 percent of any qualified revenues in a special 
        account in the Treasury from which the Secretary shall disburse 
        amounts to the States in accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Allocation to States.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), 
        effective for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2022, the 
        Secretary of the Treasury shall allocate the qualified revenues 
        described in subsection (a)(2) to each State in amounts (based 
        on a formula established by the Secretary, by regulation) that 
        are inversely proportional to the respective distances 
        between--
                    (A) the point on the coastline of each State that 
                is closest to the geographical center of the applicable 
                leased tract; and
                    (B) the geographical center of that leased tract.
            (2) Minimum allocation.--The amount allocated to a State 
        for each fiscal year under paragraph (1) shall be not less than 
        10 percent of the amounts available under subsection (a)(2).
            (3) Mandate.--Of the amounts received by a State under 
        paragraph (1), the State shall use, at the discretion of the 
        Governor of the State--
                    (A) 10 percent--
                            (i) to enhance State land and water 
                        conservation efforts;
                            (ii) to improve State public transportation 
                        projects;
                            (iii) to establish alternative, renewable, 
                        and clean energy production and generation 
                        within each State; and
                            (iv) to enhance beach nourishment and 
                        costal dredging;
                    (B) 2.5 percent to enhance geological and 
                geophysical education for the energy future of the 
                United States in accordance with section 7.

SEC. 7. ENHANCING GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR AMERICA'S 
              ENERGY FUTURE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall 
partner with institutions of higher education selected under subsection 
(c) to facilitate the practical study of geological and geophysical 
sciences of areas on the Atlantic region of the outer Continental Shelf 
and elsewhere on the Continental Shelf of the United States.
    (b) Focus.--Activities conducted by institutions of higher 
education under this section shall focus all geological and geophysical 
scientific research on obtaining a better understanding of hydrocarbon 
potential in the South Atlantic planning area while fostering the study 
of the geological and geophysical sciences at institutions of higher 
education in the United States.
    (c) Selection of Institutions.--
            (1) Selection.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Governor of each State may nominate 
        for participation in a partnership--
                    (A) 1 institution of higher education located in 
                the State; and
                    (B) 1 institution of higher education that is a 
                historically Black college or university (as defined in 
                section 631(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1132(a))) located in the State.
            (2) Preference.--In making nominations under paragraph (1), 
        each Governor shall give preference to those institutions of 
        higher education that--
                    (A) demonstrate a vigorous rate of admissions of 
                veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States; and
                    (B) meet the criteria described in paragraph (3).
            (3) Criteria.--The Governor shall select as a partner any 
        institution of higher education nominated under paragraph (1) 
        that the Governor determines demonstrates excellence in 1 or 
        more of the following criteria:
                    (A) Geophysical sciences curriculum.
                    (B) Engineering curriculum.
                    (C) Information technology or other technical 
                studies related to seismic research, including data 
                processing.
    (d) Research Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), an 
        institution of higher education selected under subsection 
        (c)(3) may conduct research under this section on the 
        expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which 
        the institution of higher education submits to the South 
        Atlantic Regional Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
        Management a notice of the research.
            (2) Permit required.--An institution of higher education 
        may not conduct research under this section that uses any solid 
        or liquid explosive, except as authorized by a permit issued by 
        the Director.
    (e) Data.--
            (1) In general.--The geological and geophysical activities 
        conducted under this section--
                    (A) shall be considered to be scientific research 
                and data produced by the activities;
                    (B) shall not be used or shared for commercial 
                purposes;
                    (C) shall not be produced for proprietary use or 
                sale; and
                    (D) shall be made available by the Director to the 
                public.
            (2) Submission of data to boem.--Not later than 60 days 
        after completion of initial analysis of data collected under 
        this section by an institution of higher education selected 
        under subsection (c)(3), the institution of higher education 
        shall share with the Director any data collected requested by 
        the Director.
            (3) Fees.--The Director may not charge any fee for the 
        provision of data produced in research under this section, 
        other than a data reprocessing fee to pay the cost of 
        duplicating the data.
    (f) Report.--Not less frequently than once every 180 days, the 
Director shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives a report on the data derived from partnerships under 
this section.

SEC. 8. ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE.

    Not later than the last day of the outer Continental Shelf leasing 
program for fiscal years 2012 through 2017 prepared under section 18 of 
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344), the Director 
shall establish an Atlantic regional office in an area that is--
            (1) included in the outer Continental Shelf leasing program 
        for fiscal years 2017 through 2022 prepared under section 18 of 
        that Act (43 U.S.C. 1344); and
            (2) determined by the Director to have the highest 
        potential for resource development.
                                 <all>