More Energy More Jobs Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1325 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing program under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 25, 2021 Mr. BRADY (for himself and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing program under section 18 of the Outer Conti- nental Shelf Lands Act, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Energy More 4 Jobs Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1325 IH SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO ISSUE NEW FIVE-YEAR OIL AND 1 GAS LEASING PROGRAM. 2 (a) REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW 3 LEASING PROGRAMS.—Section 18(c) of the Outer Conti- 4 nental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344(c)) is amended— 5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 6 paragraphs (5) and (6); and 7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol- 8 lowing: 9 ‘‘(2) DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM.—In pre- 10 paring each leasing program under this section, the 11 Secretary shall— 12 ‘‘(A) allow the Governor of a coastal State 13 to nominate for leasing under such program 14 areas of the outer Continental Shelf that are 15 adjacent to the waters of that State; 16 ‘‘(B) include each area nominated under 17 subparagraph (A) in the draft leasing program 18 under this section and consider leasing of such 19 areas as an alternative Federal action; and 20 ‘‘(C) include in development of the pro- 21 gram resource estimates that are available, and 22 develop resource estimates for the areas for 23 which such data are not available including for 24 the areas nominated under subparagraph (A). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1325 IH ‘‘(3) INCLUSION OF STATE-NOMINATED 1 AREAS.— 2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 3 include in the final program issued under this 4 section each area nominated by a State under 5 paragraph (2) if the Secretary determines that 6 development in such area will best meet na- 7 tional energy needs and is consistent with the 8 principles set forth in subsection (a). 9 ‘‘(B) REPORT.—If the Secretary omits any 10 area nominated under paragraph (2), the Sec- 11 retary shall submit to the Governor that nomi- 12 nated the area and the Committee on Natural 13 Resources of the House of Representatives a re- 14 port detailing why oil and gas development in 15 such area do not best meet national energy 16 needs and is not consistent with the principles 17 set forth in subsection (a). 18 ‘‘(C) ALTERNATIVE VIEWS.—After sub- 19 mittal of the report required by subparagraph 20 (B), each such Governor shall be provided 60 21 days within which to offer alternative views on 22 why the Secretary’s findings are not consistent 23 with the principles set forth in subsection (a). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1325 IH ‘‘(4) NOTICE OF EFFECTIVENESS OF PLAN.— 1 The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register 2 a notice of the effectiveness of each oil and gas leas- 3 ing program issued under this section on the date 4 such program takes effect.’’. 5 SEC. 3. ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO REGION. 6 Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 7 (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended by adding at the end the 8 following: 9 ‘‘(i) ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO RE- 10 GION.— 11 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 12 ‘‘(A) CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO PLAN- 13 NING AREA.—The term ‘Central Gulf of Mexico 14 Planning Area’ has the meaning given the term 15 ‘Central Planning Area’ in section 102 of the 16 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 17 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109–432). 18 ‘‘(B) WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO PLAN- 19 NING AREA.—The term ‘Western Gulf of Mex- 20 ico Planning Area’ means the Western Gulf of 21 Mexico Planning Area of the outer Continental 22 Shelf, as designated in the document entitled 23 ‘Draft Proposed Program Outer Continental 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1325 IH Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007– 1 2012’ and dated February 2006. 2 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL LEASE SALES.—Notwithstanding 3 any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 4 2022, the Secretary shall hold a minimum of 2 re- 5 gion-wide lease sales annually in the Gulf of Mexico 6 pursuant to this Act, each of which shall include 7 areas in— 8 ‘‘(A) the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning 9 Area; and 10 ‘‘(B) the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning 11 Area. 12 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.— 13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the 14 lease sales under paragraph (2), the Secretary 15 shall issue leases to the highest responsible 16 qualified bidder or bidders. 17 ‘‘(B) AREAS INCLUDED IN LEASE SALES.— 18 In carrying out the lease sales under paragraph 19 (2), the Secretary shall include in each lease 20 sale all unleased areas that are not subject to 21 restrictions as of the date of the lease sale. 22 ‘‘(4) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.— 23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to each 24 lease sale required under paragraph (2), the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1325 IH Secretary shall conduct any environmental re- 1 views required by the National Environmental 2 Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 3 ‘‘(B) DEADLINE.— 4 ‘‘(i) INDIVIDUAL REVIEW.—If the Sec- 5 retary conducts environmental reviews with 6 respect to a lease sale under subparagraph 7 (A) for each individual lease included in 8 the lease sale, the Secretary shall complete 9 all environmental reviews for the lease sale, 10 including by issuing a finding of no signifi- 11 cant impact or a record of decision, if ap- 12 plicable, in less than 365 calendar days. 13 ‘‘(ii) PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW.—If the 14 Secretary conducts a programmatic envi- 15 ronmental review with respect to a lease 16 sale under subparagraph (A) for all leases 17 under the lease sale, the Secretary shall 18 complete the programmatic environmental 19 review, including by issuing a finding of no 20 significant impact or a record of decision, 21 if applicable, in less than 180 calendar 22 days. 23 ‘‘(j) PERMITTING.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1325 IH ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to sovereign con- 1 tracting rights and obligations, the Secretary shall 2 review and grant or deny in accordance with para- 3 graph (2) any application for a permit or other ap- 4 proval for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, 5 development, and production activities under a lease 6 issued pursuant to this Act by not later than the 7 earlier of— 8 ‘‘(A) 75 calendar days after the date on 9 which the application is received by the Bureau 10 of Ocean Energy Management or the Bureau of 11 Safety and Environmental Enforcement; or 12 ‘‘(B) any other applicable deadline re- 13 quired by law. 14 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL OR DENIAL.— 15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Absent clear grounds 16 for denial of an application for a permit or 17 other approval described in paragraph (1), the 18 Secretary shall grant the permit or approval. 19 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—If the Secretary de- 20 nies an application for a permit or other ap- 21 proval under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 22 shall provide to the applicant written notice ex- 23 plaining the grounds for the denial.’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1325.IH H1325 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS