[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4942 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4942
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct proposed oil and
gas Lease Sale 220 for areas of the outer Continental Shelf at least 50
miles beyond the coastal zone of Virginia, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2010
Mr. Goodlatte (for himself, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Nye, Mr. Cantor,
Mr. Forbes, Mr. Boucher, and Mr. Perriello) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in
addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Science and
Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct proposed oil and
gas Lease Sale 220 for areas of the outer Continental Shelf at least 50
miles beyond the coastal zone of Virginia, 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 ``Virginia Access to Energy Act'' or
the ``VA Energy Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 220 ON
THE OCS OFF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct
offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 under section 8 of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (33 U.S.C. 1337) by as soon as practicable,
but not later than one year, after the date the Secretary receives a
petition from the Governor requesting that the lease sale be conducted.
(b) Prohibition on Leasing Within 50 Miles of the Coastal Zone.--
The Secretary shall not issue any lease under this Act for any tract
located within 50 miles of the coastal zone of the State unless
requested by the Governor.
(c) Prohibition on Conflicts With Military Operations.--The
Secretary shall not make any tract available for leasing under this
section if the Secretary of Defense determines that drilling activity
on that tract would conflict with any military operation.
SEC. 3. DISPOSITION OF REVENUES.
(a) Allocation, Generally.--Of the qualified revenues received by
the United States each fiscal year--
(1) 50 percent shall be used for non-Federal purposes as
provided in subsection (b); and
(2) 50 percent shall be used for Federal purposes as
provided in subsection (c).
(b) Use for Non-Federal Purposes.--
(1) In general.--Of the qualified revenues referred to in
subsection (a)(1)--
(A) 75 shall be paid to the State, without further
appropriation;
(B) 12.5 percent--
(i) shall be used, without further
appropriation, to provide financial assistance
to the State in accordance with section 6 of
the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of
1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-8); and
(ii) shall be considered income to the Land
and Water Conservation Fund for purposes of
section 2 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 460l-5); and
(C) 12.5 percent shall be deposited in a separate
account in the Treasury that shall be used, without
further appropriation, by the Secretary of the
Interior, in consultation with the Governor, to
mitigate for any environmental damage that occurs as a
result of extraction activities authorized under oil
and gas leases issued under this Act, regardless of
whether the damage is--
(i) reasonably foreseeable; or
(ii) caused by negligence or a natural
disaster.
(2) Use of payments to state.--Amounts paid to the State
under paragraph (1)(A) shall be used by the State for one or
more of the following:
(A) Education.
(B) Transportation.
(C) Reducing taxes.
(D) Coastal and environmental restoration.
(E) Energy infrastructure and projects.
(F) State seismic monitoring programs.
(G) Alternative energy development.
(H) Energy efficiency and conservation.
(I) Hurricane and natural disaster insurance
programs.
(c) Use for Federal Purposes.--Of the qualified revenues referred
to in subsection (a)(2)--
(1) 50 percent shall be applied solely to reduce the
outstanding Federal debt; and
(2) 50 percent shall be deposited into the Alterative
Energy Trust Fund established by section 4.
SEC. 4. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TRUST FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury a separate
account that shall be known as the Alternative Energy Trust Fund.
(b) Contents.--The account shall consist of amounts deposited into
it under section 3(c)(2).
(c) Use.--Amounts in the account may be used, without further
appropriation, by the Secretary of Energy for making grants for the
following:
(1) Coal and related technologies program.
(2) To improve the commercial value of forest biomass for
electric energy, useful heat, transportation fuels, and other
commercial purposes.
(3) Solar and wind technologies.
(4) Renewable energy.
(5) Methane hydrate research.
(6) Nuclear power loan guarantees.
(7) Smart grid technology research, development, and
demonstration.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Coastal zone.--The term ``coastal zone'' has the
meaning that term has in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
(43 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.).
(2) Governor.--The term ``Governor'' means the Governor of
the State.
(3) Lease sale 220.--The term ``Lease Sale 220'' means
proposed OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220 in the Mid-Atlantic OCS
Planning Area in the area offshore the State, as included in
the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, 2007-2012.
(4) Qualified revenues.--The term ``qualified revenues''
means all rentals, royalties, bonus bids, and other sums due
and payable to the United States under leases issued under this
Act.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Virginia.
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