[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S441-S442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 127. Mr. SCOTT submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 1, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
TITLE II--LEASE SALES
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
(2) Qualified revenues.--The term ``qualified revenues''
means all bonus bids, rentals, 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.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(4) 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.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the following
States:
(A) Georgia.
(B) North Carolina.
(C) South Carolina.
(D) Virginia.
SEC. 202. ENHANCING STATE RIGHTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall promulgate regulations
that establish management of the surface occupancy of each
portion of the South Atlantic planning area for the
applicable coastline of a State for any lease sale authorized
under this Act to the effect that--
(1) the applicable State shall have sole authority to
restrict or allow surface 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) unless permanent surface occupancy is authorized by a
State, only sub-surface production facilities may 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 20 nautical miles seaward from
the coastline of the State;
(3) new offshore production facilities are encouraged and
the impacts on coastal vistas are minimized, to the maximum
extent practical; and
(4) onshore facilities that facilitate the 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.
(b) Temporary Activities Not Affected.--Nothing in the
regulations described in subsection (a) shall restrict, or
give the States authority to restrict, temporary surface
activities related to operations associated with outer
Continental Shelf oil and gas leases.
SEC. 203. REINSTATEMENT OF VIRGINIA LEASE SALE 220.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall conduct Lease Sale 220 (as described
in the notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact
statement dated November 13, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 67201)).
SEC. 204. SOUTH CAROLINA LEASE SALE.
Notwithstanding the exclusion of the South Atlantic
planning area in the outer Continental Shelf leasing program
for fiscal years 2012-2017 prepared under section 18 of the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344), the
Secretary shall conduct a lease sale not later than 2 years
after the date of enactment of this Act in areas off the
coast of the State of South Carolina--
(1) determined by the Secretary to have the most
geologically promising hydrocarbon resources; and
(2) that constitute not less than 25 percent of the
leasable area located within the offshore administrative
boundaries of the State of South Carolina depicted in the
notice entitled ``Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
Administrative Boundaries Extending from the Submerged Lands
Act Boundary seaward to the Limit of the United States Outer
Continental Shelf'', published January 3, 2006 (71 Fed. Reg.
127).
SEC. 205. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.
The Secretary shall complete a multisale environmental
impact statement for each lease sale conducted under this
title.
SEC. 206. SOUTH ATLANTIC PLANNING AREA LEASE SALES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct 3 lease sales
in the South Atlantic planning area before June 30, 2017, in
areas--
(1) to be determined by the Secretary based on--
(A) analysis by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; and
(B) industry nomination; and
(2) determined by the Secretary to contain the most
hydrocarbon resource potential.
(b) 2017-2022 Leasing Program.--The Secretary shall--
(1) include the South Atlantic planning area in the outer
Continental Shelf leasing program for fiscal years 2017-2022
prepared under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344); and
(2) conduct 1 lease sale in the South Atlantic planning
area during each year of the program, for a total of 5 lease
sales.
SEC. 207. 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 the 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.--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--
(1) 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''
signed July 20, 1983; and
[[Page S442]]
(2) any revision or replacement for the agreement described
in paragraph (1) that is agreed to by the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary after that date but before the date
of issuance of the lease under which the exploration,
development, or production is conducted.
SEC. 208. REVENUE SHARING AND DEFICIT REDUCTION.
Notwithstanding section 9 of the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1338), each fiscal year the Secretary
shall deposit--
(1) 37.5 percent of the qualified revenues in a special
account in the Treasury, from which the Secretary shall
allocate amounts in accordance with section 209;
(2) 12.5 percent of the qualified revenues dedicated
towards deficit reduction; and
(3) 50 percent of the qualified revenues in the general
fund of the Treasury.
SEC. 209. ALLOCATION TO STATES.
(a) In General.--Of the qualified revenues deposited in the
account under section 208(1), 37.5 percent shall be
distributed to each State--
(1) using the formula established under subsection (b); and
(2) in amounts that are inversely proportional to the
respective distances between the point on the coastline of
each State that is closest to the geographic center of the
applicable leased tract and the geographic center of the
leased tract.
(b) Formula.--The formula used to make the calculation
under subsection (a) shall be--
(1) established by the Secretary by regulation; and
(2) modeled after the final rule entitled ``Allocation and
Disbursement of Royalties, Rentals, and Bonuses--Oil and Gas,
Offshore'', dated December 23, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 78622).
(c) Minimum Allocation.--Each State shall be entitled to an
amount equal to not less than 10 percent of the qualified
revenues allocated under subsection (a).
(d) Use of Funds.--A State receiving amounts under this
section may use the amounts in accordance with State law.
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