I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1372 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil and natural gas 

exploration, leasing, and drilling activities on the outer Continental Shelf 

offshore the State of Virginia, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 5, 2011 

Mr. GOODLATTE (for himself, Mr. RIGELL, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. WOLF, Mr. 

FORBES, Mr. HURT, and Mr. GRIFFITH of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil 

and natural gas exploration, leasing, and drilling activities on the outer Continental Shelf offshore the State 

of Virginia, 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 ‘‘Virginia Access to En5 ergy Act’’ or the ‘‘VA Energy Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) COASTAL ZONE.—The term ‘‘coastal zone’’ 

2 has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the 

3 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 

4 1331). 

5 (2) LEASE SALE 220.—The term ‘‘Lease Sale 

6 220’’ means the sale of Federal oil and gas explo7 ration leases in the outer Continental Shelf planning 

8 area located off the coast of the State. 

9 (3) QUALIFIED REVENUES.—The term ‘‘quali10 fied revenues’’ means all rentals, royalties, bonus 

11 bids, and other sums due and payable to the United 

12 States— 

13 (A) under leases entered into under this 

14 Act; or 

15 (B) under other oil and gas leases of areas 

16 of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of 

17 Virginia. 

18 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

19 the Secretary of the Interior. 

20 (5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

21 of Virginia. 


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1 SEC. 3. OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND GAS LEAS2 ING OFF THE COAST OF THE STATE OF VIR3 GINIA. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable, but not 

5 later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 

6 the Secretary shall carry out the Lease Sale 220 under 

7 section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 

8 U.S.C. 1337). 

9 (b) PROHIBITION ON CONFLICTS WITH MILITARY

10 OPERATIONS.—The Secretary shall not make any tract 

11 available for lease under this Act if the President, in con12 sultation with the Committees on Armed Services of the 

13 Senate and the House of Representatives, determines that 

14 the lease of that tract would create an unreasonable con15 flict with military operations. 

16 SEC. 4. DISPOSITION OF REVENUES. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 9 of the 

18 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1338) and 

19 subject to the provisions of this section, for each applicable 

20 fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit— 

21 (1) 50 percent of any qualified revenues in the 

22 general fund of the Treasury, which shall be applied 

23 solely to reduce the outstanding Federal debt; and 

24 (2) 50 percent of any qualified revenues in a 

25 special account in the Treasury to be used for the 

26 purposes described subsection (b). 


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1 (b) DISPOSITION OF REVENUES TO STATE.—Of the 

2 qualified revenues described in subsection (a)(2)— 

3 (1) 75 percent shall be disbursed to the State; 

4 (2) 12.5 percent— 

5 (A) shall be used, without further appro6 priation, to provide financial assistance to the 

7 State in accordance with section 6 of the Land 

8 and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 

9 U.S.C. 460l–8); and 

10 (B) shall be considered income to the Land 

11 and Water Conservation Fund for purposes of 

12 section 2 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 460l–5); and 

13 (3) 12.5 percent shall be deposited in a sepa14 rate account in the Treasury that shall be used, 

15 without further appropriation, by the Secretary of 

16 the Interior, in consultation with the Governor of the 

17 State, to mitigate for any environmental damage 

18 that occurs as a result of extraction activities au19 thorized under oil and gas leases issued under this 

20 Act, regardless of whether the damage is— 

21 (A) reasonably foreseeable; or 

22 (B) caused by negligence or a natural dis23 aster. 

Æ 


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