SEA Jobs Act

Summary: Southern Energy Access Jobs Act or the SEA Jobs Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to promulgate regulations that establish management of the surface occupancy of each portion of the South Atlantic planning area for the coastline of a state for any lease sale authorized under this Act. Requires the state under such regulations to have sole authority to restrict or allow surface facilities above the waterline for the purpose of producing oil or gas resources in any area within 12 nautical miles seaward from its coastline. Allows the installation of only sub-surface production facilities in areas located between points 12 and 20 nautical miles seaward from the state coastline, unless the state authorizes permanent surface occupancy. Requires new offshore production facilities to be encouraged and the impacts on coastal vistas minimized. Requires that onshore facilities be allowed that facilitate development and production of oil and gas resources of the South Atlantic planning area within 12 nautical miles seaward of a state coastline.   Directs the Secretary to conduct Virginia Lease Sale 220.  Requires the Secretary to conduct a lease sale within two years after enactment of this Act in areas off the coast of South Carolina that: (1) have the most geologically promising hydrocarbon resources, and (2) constitute at least 25% of the leasable area located within certain offshore administrative boundaries. Requires the Secretary to conduct before June 30, 2017, three lease sales in the South Atlantic planning area that contains the most hydrocarbon resource potential. Directs the Secretary to: (1) include the South Atlantic planning area within a specified outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leasing program for FY2017-FY2022; and (2) conduct one lease sale in the South Atlantic planning area during each year of the program, for a total of five lease sales.  Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to implement lease sales jointly to: (1) preserve the ability of the Armed Forces to maintain an optimum state of readiness through their continued use of the OCS; and (2) allow exploration, development, and production of U.S. oil, gas, and renewable energy resources. Prohibits exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas on the OCS that would conflict with military operations set forth in specified documents. Prescribes specified percentages of qualified revenues for: (1) deposit into the Treasury, (2) deficit reduction, and (3) allocation to certain states. Establishes the Oil and Gas Production Veterans Workforce Training Fund.  Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), to partner with certain institutions of higher education to facilitate the study of geological and geophysical sciences on the Atlantic OCS and elsewhere on the U.S. Continental Shelf. Requires the BOEM Director to establish an Atlantic regional office in an area with the most potential resource development that is also in a certain OCS leasing program for FY2017-FY2022.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Southern Energy Access Jobs Act'' or 
the ``SEA Jobs Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (3) Qualified revenues.--The term ``qualified revenues'' 
        means all bonus bids, rentals and 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 covers an 
        area in the South Atlantic planning area.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) 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.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the following 
        States:
                    (A) Georgia.
                    (B) North Carolina.
                    (C) South Carolina.
                    (D) Virginia.
            (7) Workforce investment board.--The term ``workforce 
        investment board'' means a State or local workforce investment 
        board established under subtitle B of title I of the Workforce 
        Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2811 et seq.).

SEC. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. SOUTH CAROLINA LEASE SALE.

    (a) In General.--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).
    (b) Environmental Impact Statement.--The Secretary shall complete a 
multisale environmental impact statement for the lease sales conducted 
under subsection (a) and section 4.

SEC. 6. 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. 7. 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 
        their 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
            (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. 8. 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 9;
            (2) 2.5 percent of the qualified revenues in the fund 
        established by section 10(b)(1), from which the Secretary shall 
        allocate amounts in accordance with that section;
            (3) 10 percent of the qualified revenues dedicated towards 
        deficit reduction; and
            (4) 50 percent of the qualified revenues in the general 
        fund of the Treasury.

SEC. 9. ALLOCATION TO STATES.

    (a) In General.--Of the qualified revenues deposited in the account 
under section 8(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.

SEC. 10. VETERANS JOBS GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Establishment of Fund.--
            (1) In general.--There is established in the Treasury of 
        the United States a fund, to be known as the ``Oil and Gas 
        Production Veterans Workforce Training Fund'' (referred to in 
        this section as the ``Fund''), consisting of such amounts as 
        are transferred to the Fund under section 8(2).
            (2) Administration.--The Fund shall be administered by the 
        Secretary to fund the grants authorized by subsection (b).
    (b) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director, shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible 
        institutions of higher education and workforce investment 
        boards to establish and fund oil and gas exploration, 
        development, and production workforce training programs.
            (2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, an institution of higher education or workforce 
        investment board shall--
                    (A) establish or expand and administer an oil and 
                gas exploration, development, and production workforce 
                training program; and
                    (B) in granting admission to applicants to the 
                program, give priority to veterans of the Armed Forces 
                of the United States.
            (3) Application.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant 
        under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
        at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
        information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
            (4) Limitation on administrative expenses.--Not more than 
        0.5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this 
        section may be used to pay for the administrative expenses of 
        the programs described in paragraph (1).

SEC. 11. ENHANCING GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR AMERICA'S 
              ENERGY FUTURE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall 
partner with institutions of higher education selected under subsection 
(c) to facilitate the practical study of geological and geophysical 
sciences of areas on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf and elsewhere 
on the Continental Shelf of the United States.
    (b) Focus.--Activities conducted by institutions of higher 
education under this section shall focus all geological and geophysical 
scientific research on obtaining a better understanding of hydrocarbon 
potential in the South Atlantic Planning Area while fostering the study 
of the geological and geophysical sciences at institutions of higher 
education in the United States.
    (c) Selection of Institutions.--
            (1) Nomination.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Governor of each State may nominate 
        for participation in a partnership--
                    (A) 1 institution of higher education located in 
                the State; and
                    (B) 1 institution of higher education that is a 
                historically Black college or university, as defined in 
                section 631(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1132(a)) located in the State.
            (2) Preference.--In making nominations under paragraph (1), 
        each Governor shall give preference to those institutions of 
        higher education that demonstrate a vigorous rate of admissions 
        of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and meet 
        the criteria described in paragraph (3).
            (3) Selection.--The Director shall select as a partner any 
        institution of higher education nominated under paragraph (1) 
        that the Director determines demonstrates excellence in 1 or 
        more of the following criteria:
                    (A) Geophysical sciences curriculum.
                    (B) Engineering curriculum.
                    (C) Information technology or other technical 
                studies related to seismic research, including data 
                processing.
    (d) Research Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), an 
        institution of higher education selected under subsection 
        (c)(3) may conduct research under this section upon the 
        expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date the 
        institution of higher education submits notice of the research 
        to the South Atlantic Regional Director of the Bureau of Ocean 
        Energy Management.
            (2) Permit required.--An institution of higher education 
        may not under this section conduct research that uses solid or 
        liquid explosives except as authorized by a permit issued by 
        the Director.
    (e) Data.--
            (1) In general.--Geological and geophysical activities 
        conducted under this section--
                    (A) shall be considered scientific research and 
                data produced by the activities;
                    (B) shall not be used or shared for commercial 
                purposes;
                    (C) shall not be produced for proprietary use or 
                sale; and
                    (D) shall be made available by the Director to the 
                public.
            (2) Submission of data to boem.--Not later than 60 days 
        after completion of initial analysis of data collected under 
        this section by an institution of higher education selected 
        under subsection (c)(3), the institution of higher education 
        shall share with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management any data 
        collected that is requested by the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
        Management.
            (3) Fees.--The Director may not charge any fee for the 
        provision of data produced in research under this section, 
        other than a data reprocessing fee to pay the cost of 
        duplicating the data.
    (f) Report.--Not less frequently than once every 180 days, the 
Director shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives a report on the data derived from partnerships under 
this section.

SEC. 12. ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE.

    Not later than the last day of 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 Director shall 
establish an Atlantic regional office in an area that is--
            (1) included in the outer Continental Shelf leasing program 
        for fiscal years 2017-2022 prepared under section 18 of that 
        Act; and
            (2) determined by the Director to have the most potential 
        resource development.