II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4947 

To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require annual lease 

sales in the Gulf of Mexico region of the outer Continental Shelf, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 2, 2020 

Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. 

CORNYN, and Mr. WICKER) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require 

annual lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico region of the 

outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Conservation Funding 

5 Protection Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO REGION. 

7 Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 

8 (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended by adding at the end the 

9 following: 


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1 ‘‘(i) ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO RE2 GION.— 

3 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

4 ‘‘(A) CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO PLAN5 NING AREA.—The term ‘Central Gulf of Mexico 

6 Planning Area’ has the meaning given the term 

7 ‘Central Planning Area’ in section 102 of the 

8 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 

9 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109–432). 

10 ‘‘(B) WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO PLAN11 NING AREA.—The term ‘Western Gulf of Mex12 ico Planning Area’ means the Western Gulf of 

13 Mexico Planning Area of the outer Continental 

14 Shelf, as designated in the document entitled 

15 ‘Draft Proposed Program Outer Continental 

16 Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007– 

17 2012’ and dated February 2006. 

18 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL LEASE SALES.—Notwithstanding 

19 any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 

20 2022, the Secretary shall hold a minimum of 2 re21 gion-wide lease sales annually in the Gulf of Mexico 

22 pursuant to this Act, each of which shall include 

23 areas in— 

24 ‘‘(A) the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning 

25 Area; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning 

2 Area. 

3 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the 

5 lease sales under paragraph (2), the Secretary 

6 shall issue leases to the highest responsible 

7 qualified bidder or bidders. 

8 ‘‘(B) AREAS INCLUDED IN LEASE SALES.— 

9 In carrying out the lease sales under paragraph 

10 (2), the Secretary shall include in each lease 

11 sale all unleased areas that are not subject to 

12 restrictions as of the date of the lease sale. 

13 ‘‘(4) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.— 

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to each 

15 lease sale required under paragraph (2), the 

16 Secretary shall conduct any environmental re17 views required by the National Environmental 

18 Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

19 ‘‘(B) DEADLINE.— 

20 ‘‘(i) INDIVIDUAL REVIEW.—If the Sec21 retary conducts environmental reviews with 

22 respect to a lease sale under subparagraph 

23 (A) for each individual lease included in 

24 the lease sale, the Secretary shall complete 

25 all environmental reviews for the lease sale, 


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1 including by issuing a finding of no signifi2 cant impact or a record of decision, if ap3 plicable, in less than 365 calendar days. 

4 ‘‘(ii) PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW.—If the 

5 Secretary conducts a programmatic envi6 ronmental review with respect to a lease 

7 sale under subparagraph (A) for all leases 

8 under the lease sale, the Secretary shall 

9 complete the programmatic environmental 

10 review, including by issuing a finding of no 

11 significant impact or a record of decision, 

12 if applicable, in less than 180 calendar 

13 days. 

14 ‘‘(j) PERMITTING.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to sovereign con16 tracting rights and obligations, the Secretary shall 

17 review and grant or deny in accordance with para18 graph (2) any application for a permit or other ap19 proval for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, 

20 development, and production activities under a lease 

21 issued pursuant to this Act by not later than the 

22 earlier of— 

23 ‘‘(A) 75 calendar days after the date on 

24 which the application is received by the Bureau 


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1 of Ocean Energy Management or the Bureau of 

2 Safety and Environmental Enforcement; or 

3 ‘‘(B) any other applicable deadline re4 quired by law. 

5 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL OR DENIAL.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Absent clear grounds 

7 for denial of an application for a permit or 

8 other approval described in paragraph (1), the 

9 Secretary shall grant the permit or approval. 

10 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—If the Secretary de11 nies an application for a permit or other ap12 proval under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

13 shall provide to the applicant written notice ex14 plaining the grounds for the denial.’’. 

Æ 


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