[106th Congress Public Law 193]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ193.106]


[[Page 233]]

          METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2000

[[Page 114 STAT. 234]]

Public Law 106-193
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
     To <<NOTE: May 2, 2000 -  [H.R. 1753]>>  promote the research, 
  identification, assessment, exploration, and development of methane 
               hydrate resources, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Methane Hydrate Research 
and Development Act of 2000. 30 USC 1902 note.>>  assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Methane Hydrate Research and 
Development Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Contract.--The term ``contract'' means a procurement 
        contract within the meaning of section 6303 of title 31, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Cooperative agreement.--The term ``cooperative 
        agreement'' means a cooperative agreement within the meaning of 
        section 6305 of title 31, United States Code.
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (4) Grant.--The term ``grant'' means a grant awarded under a 
        grant agreement, within the meaning of section 6304 of title 31, 
        United States Code.
            (5) Industrial enterprise.--The term ``industrial 
        enterprise'' means a private, nongovernmental enterprise that 
        has an expertise or capability that relates to methane hydrate 
        research and development.
            (6) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution 
        of higher education'' means an institution of higher education, 
        within the meaning of section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)).
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Fossil 
        Energy.
            (8) Secretary of commerce.--The term ``Secretary of 
        Commerce'' means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration.
            (9) Secretary of defense.--The term ``Secretary of Defense'' 
        means the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Secretary of 
        the Navy.
            (10) Secretary of the interior.--The term ``Secretary of the 
        Interior'' means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
        the Director of the United States Geological Survey and the 
        Director of the Minerals Management Service.

[[Page 114 STAT. 235]]

SEC. 3. METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Commencement of <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  program.--Not later 
        than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the 
        Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the 
        Director, shall commence a program of methane hydrate research 
        and development in accordance with this section.
            (2) Designations.--The Secretary, the Secretary of Commerce, 
        the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the 
        Director shall designate individuals to carry out this section.
            (3) Coordination.--The individual designated by the 
        Secretary shall coordinate all activities within the Department 
        of Energy relating to methane hydrate research and development.
            (4) Meetings.--The <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  individuals 
        designated under paragraph (2) shall meet not later than 270 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less 
        frequently than every 120 days thereafter to--
                    (A) review the progress of the program under 
                paragraph (1); and
                    (B) make recommendations on future activities to 
                occur subsequent to the meeting.

    (b) Grants, Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, Interagency Funds 
Transfer Agreements, and Field Work Proposals.--
            (1) Assistance and coordination.--In carrying out the 
        program of methane hydrate research and development authorized 
        by this section, the Secretary may award grants or contracts to, 
        or enter into cooperative agreements with, institutions of 
        higher education and industrial enterprises to--
                    (A) conduct basic and applied research to identify, 
                explore, assess, and develop methane hydrate as a source 
                of energy;
                    (B) assist in developing technologies required for 
                efficient and environmentally sound development of 
                methane hydrate resources;
                    (C) undertake research programs to provide safe 
                means of transport and storage of methane produced from 
                methane hydrates;
                    (D) promote education and training in methane 
                hydrate resource research and resource development;
                    (E) conduct basic and applied research to assess and 
                mitigate the environmental impacts of hydrate degassing 
                (including both natural degassing and degassing 
                associated with commercial development);
                    (F) develop technologies to reduce the risks of 
                drilling through methane hydrates; and
                    (G) conduct exploratory drilling in support of the 
                activities authorized by this paragraph.
            (2) Competitive merit-based review.--Funds made available 
        under paragraph (1) shall be made available based on a 
        competitive merit-based process.

[[Page 114 STAT. 236]]

    (c) Consultation.--The <<NOTE: Establishment.>>  Secretary shall 
establish an advisory panel consisting of experts from industrial 
enterprises, institutions of higher education, and Federal agencies to--
            (1) advise the Secretary on potential applications of 
        methane hydrate;
            (2) assist in developing recommendations and priorities for 
        the methane hydrate research and development program carried out 
        under subsection (a)(1); and
            (3) not <<NOTE: Deadline. Reports.>>  later than 2 years 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, and at such later 
        dates as the panel considers advisable, submit to Congress a 
        report on the anticipated impact on global climate change from--
                    (A) methane hydrate formation;
                    (B) methane hydrate degassing (including natural 
                degassing and degassing associated with commercial 
                development); and
                    (C) the consumption of natural gas produced from 
                methane hydrates.

Not more than 25 percent of the individuals serving on the advisory 
panel shall be Federal employees.
    (d) Limitations.--
            (1) Administrative expenses.--Not more than 5 percent of the 
        amount made available to carry out this section for a fiscal 
        year may be used by the Secretary for expenses associated with 
        the administration of the program carried out under subsection 
        (a)(1).
            (2) Construction costs.--None of the funds made available to 
        carry out this section may be used for the construction of a new 
        building or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or 
        alteration of an existing building (including site grading and 
        improvement and architect fees).

    (e) Responsibilities of the Secretary.--In carrying out subsection 
(b)(1), the Secretary shall--
            (1) facilitate and develop partnerships among government, 
        industrial enterprises, and institutions of higher education to 
        research, identify, assess, and explore methane hydrate 
        resources;
            (2) undertake programs to develop basic information 
        necessary for promoting long-term interest in methane hydrate 
        resources as an energy source;
            (3) ensure that the data and information developed through 
        the program are accessible and widely disseminated as needed and 
        appropriate;
            (4) promote cooperation among agencies that are developing 
        technologies that may hold promise for methane hydrate resource 
        development; and
            (5) <<NOTE: Reports.>>  report annually to Congress on 
        accomplishments under this section.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE MINING AND MINERALS POLICY ACT OF 1970.

    Section 201 of the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 
1901) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (6)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as 
                subparagraph (H); and

[[Page 114 STAT. 237]]

                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the 
                following:
                    ``(G) for purposes of this section and sections 202 
                through 205 only, methane hydrate; and'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
            ``(7) The term `methane hydrate' means--
                    ``(A) a methane clathrate that is in the form of a 
                methane-water ice-like crystalline material and is 
                stable and occurs naturally in deep-ocean and permafrost 
                areas; and
                    ``(B) other natural gas hydrates found in 
                association with deep-ocean and permafrost deposits of 
                methane hydrate.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy 
to carry out this Act--
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
            (2) $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            (3) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (4) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
            (5) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.

Amounts authorized under this section shall remain available until 
expended.

SEC. 6. SUNSET.

    Section 3 of this Act shall cease to be effective after the end of 
fiscal year 2005.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STUDY.

    The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National 
Research Council for such council to conduct a study of the progress 
made under the methane hydrate research and development program 
implemented pursuant to this Act, and to make recommendations for future 
methane hydrate research and development needs. 
The <<NOTE: Deadline. Reports.>>  Secretary shall transmit to the 
Congress, not later than September 30, 2004, a report containing the 
findings and recommendations of the National Research Council under this 
section.

SEC. 8. REPORTS AND STUDIES.

    The Secretary of Energy shall provide to the Committee on Science of 
the House of Representatives copies of any report or


[[Page 114 STAT. 238]]

study that the Department of Energy prepares at the direction of any 
committee of the Congress.

    Approved May 2, 2000.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1753 (S. 330):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-377, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Science) and Pt. 2 (Comm. on 
Resources).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-33 accompanying S. 330 (Comm. on Energy and
Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 145 (1999):
                                    Oct. 26, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                    Nov. 19, considered and passed 
                                        Senate, amended.
                                                        Vol. 146 (2000):
                                    Apr. 3, House concurred in Senate 
                                        amendments with an amendment 
                                        pursuant to H. Res. 453.
                                    Apr. 13, Senate concurred in House 
                                        amendment.

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