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 Continental Shelf Lands Act, 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 ‘‘More Energy More 

5 Jobs Act of 2021’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1325 IH

1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO ISSUE NEW FIVE-YEAR OIL AND 

2 GAS LEASING PROGRAM. 

3 (a) REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW

4 LEASING PROGRAMS.—Section 18(c) of the Outer Conti5 nental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344(c)) is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 

7 paragraphs (5) and (6); and 

8 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(2) DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM.—In pre11 paring each leasing program under this section, the 

12 Secretary shall— 

13 ‘‘(A) allow the Governor of a coastal State 

14 to nominate for leasing under such program 

15 areas of the outer Continental Shelf that are 

16 adjacent to the waters of that State; 

17 ‘‘(B) include each area nominated under 

18 subparagraph (A) in the draft leasing program 

19 under this section and consider leasing of such 

20 areas as an alternative Federal action; and 

21 ‘‘(C) include in development of the pro22 gram resource estimates that are available, and 

23 develop resource estimates for the areas for 

24 which such data are not available including for 

25 the areas nominated under subparagraph (A). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1325 IH

1 ‘‘(3) INCLUSION OF STATE-NOMINATED

2 AREAS.— 

3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

4 include in the final program issued under this 

5 section each area nominated by a State under 

6 paragraph (2) if the Secretary determines that 

7 development in such area will best meet na8 tional energy needs and is consistent with the 

9 principles set forth in subsection (a). 

10 ‘‘(B) REPORT.—If the Secretary omits any 

11 area nominated under paragraph (2), the Sec12 retary shall submit to the Governor that nomi13 nated the area and the Committee on Natural 

14 Resources of the House of Representatives a re15 port detailing why oil and gas development in 

16 such area do not best meet national energy 

17 needs and is not consistent with the principles 

18 set forth in subsection (a). 

19 ‘‘(C) ALTERNATIVE VIEWS.—After sub20 mittal of the report required by subparagraph 

21 (B), each such Governor shall be provided 60 

22 days within which to offer alternative views on 

23 why the Secretary’s findings are not consistent 

24 with the principles set forth in subsection (a). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1325 IH

1 ‘‘(4) NOTICE OF EFFECTIVENESS OF PLAN.— 

2 The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register 

3 a notice of the effectiveness of each oil and gas leas4 ing program issued under this section on the date 

5 such program takes effect.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. 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: 

10 ‘‘(i) ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO RE11 GION.— 

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

13 ‘‘(A) CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO PLAN14 NING AREA.—The term ‘Central Gulf of Mexico 

15 Planning Area’ has the meaning given the term 

16 ‘Central Planning Area’ in section 102 of the 

17 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 

18 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109–432). 

19 ‘‘(B) WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO PLAN20 NING AREA.—The term ‘Western Gulf of Mex21 ico Planning Area’ means the Western Gulf of 

22 Mexico Planning Area of the outer Continental 

23 Shelf, as designated in the document entitled 

24 ‘Draft Proposed Program Outer Continental 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1325 IH

1 Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007– 

2 2012’ and dated February 2006. 

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

4 any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 

5 2022, the Secretary shall hold a minimum of 2 re6 gion-wide lease sales annually in the Gulf of Mexico 

7 pursuant to this Act, each of which shall include 

8 areas in— 

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

10 Area; and 

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

12 Area. 

13 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.— 

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

15 lease sales under paragraph (2), the Secretary 

16 shall issue leases to the highest responsible 

17 qualified bidder or bidders. 

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

19 In carrying out the lease sales under paragraph 

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

21 sale all unleased areas that are not subject to 

22 restrictions as of the date of the lease sale. 

23 ‘‘(4) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.— 

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

25 lease sale required under paragraph (2), the 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 1325 IH

1 Secretary shall conduct any environmental re2 views required by the National Environmental 

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

4 ‘‘(B) DEADLINE.— 

5 ‘‘(i) INDIVIDUAL REVIEW.—If the Sec6 retary conducts environmental reviews with 

7 respect to a lease sale under subparagraph 

8 (A) for each individual lease included in 

9 the lease sale, the Secretary shall complete 

10 all environmental reviews for the lease sale, 

11 including by issuing a finding of no signifi12 cant impact or a record of decision, if ap13 plicable, in less than 365 calendar days. 

14 ‘‘(ii) PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW.—If the 

15 Secretary conducts a programmatic envi16 ronmental review with respect to a lease 

17 sale under subparagraph (A) for all leases 

18 under the lease sale, the Secretary shall 

19 complete the programmatic environmental 

20 review, including by issuing a finding of no 

21 significant impact or a record of decision, 

22 if applicable, in less than 180 calendar 

23 days. 

24 ‘‘(j) PERMITTING.— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 1325 IH

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to sovereign con2 tracting rights and obligations, the Secretary shall 

3 review and grant or deny in accordance with para4 graph (2) any application for a permit or other ap5 proval for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, 

6 development, and production activities under a lease 

7 issued pursuant to this Act by not later than the 

8 earlier of— 

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

10 which the application is received by the Bureau 

11 of Ocean Energy Management or the Bureau of 

12 Safety and Environmental Enforcement; or 

13 ‘‘(B) any other applicable deadline re14 quired by law. 

15 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL OR DENIAL.— 

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

17 for denial of an application for a permit or 

18 other approval described in paragraph (1), the 

19 Secretary shall grant the permit or approval. 

20 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—If the Secretary de21 nies an application for a permit or other ap22 proval under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

23 shall provide to the applicant written notice ex24 plaining the grounds for the denial.’’. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS