Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000

Summary: Directs the Secretary to establish a panel to: (1) provide advice on applications of methane hydrate and priorities for the program; and (2) report to Congress on the impact on global climate change from methane hydrate formation and degassing and the consumption of natural gas produced from such hydrates. Limits to five percent the amount of program funding that can be used for administrative expense and prohibits the use of program funding for building construction.
Requires the Secretary, in awarding such grants or contracts or entering into such cooperative agreements, to: (1) facilitate and develop partnerships among government, industry, and institutions of higher education; (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; (4) promote cooperation among agencies that are developing technologies that may hold promise for methane hydrate resource development; and (5) report annually to Congress on accomplishments.
Amends the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 to: (1) redefine "marine mineral resource" to include methane hydrate (for the purposes of the marine mineral resources research program); and (2) define "methane hydrate."
Authorizes appropriations for FY 2002 through 2005.
Sunsets the methane hydrate research and development program after the end of FY 2005.
Instructs the Secretary to: (1) enter into an agreement with the National Research Council for a study and report to Congress on the progress made under the methane hydrate research and development program, together with any recommendations for future methane hydrate research and development needs; and (2) provide to the House Committee on Science any report or study prepared at the direction of any congressional committee.

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.

SEC. 3. METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
        (1) Commencement of 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 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.
    (c) Consultation.--The 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 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) 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
            (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 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 study that the 
Department of Energy prepares at the direction of any committee of the 
Congress.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.