I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1559 

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 

MARCH 10, 2023 

Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. CUELLAR, and Mr. MOORE of Alabama) 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 2023’’. 


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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 additional or alternative Federal ac21 tion; and 

22 ‘‘(C) include the established program re23 source estimates that are available, and develop 

24 resource estimates for the areas for which such 

25 data are not available including for the areas 

26 nominated under subparagraph (A). 


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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). 


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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 ‘‘(j) 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 ‘2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and 


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1 Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program’ and 

2 dated January 2015. 

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

4 any other provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 

5 2023, 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 


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

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

4 ‘‘(B) TIMELINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RE5 VIEW.— 

6 ‘‘(i) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall 

7 complete an environmental review con8 ducted pursuant to subparagraph (A) not 

9 later than— 

10 ‘‘(I) with respect to an environ11 mental assessment, 1 year after the 

12 date on which the Secretary issues a 

13 notice of intent to prepare such envi14 ronmental assessment; and 

15 ‘‘(II) with respect to an environ16 mental impact statement, 2 years 

17 after the date on which the Secretary 

18 issues a notice of intent to prepare 

19 such environmental impact statement. 

20 ‘‘(ii) ADJUSTMENT OF TIMELINE.—An 

21 entity that is issued a lease pursuant to a 

22 lease sale under paragraph (2) may enter 

23 into— 

24 ‘‘(I) 1 or more agreements with 

25 the Secretary to extend a deadline deVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:31 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1559.IH H1559

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1 scribed in clause (i) by not more than 

2 6 months for each such agreement; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(II) an agreement with the Sec5 retary to otherwise adjust any dead6 line under this subparagraph. 

7 ‘‘(k) PERMITTING.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to sovereign con9 tracting rights and obligations, the Secretary shall 

10 review and grant or deny in accordance with para11 graph (2) any application for a permit or other ap12 proval for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, 

13 development, and production activities under a lease 

14 issued pursuant to this Act by not later than the 

15 earlier of— 

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

17 which the application is received by the Bureau 

18 of Ocean Energy Management or the Bureau of 

19 Safety and Environmental Enforcement; or 

20 ‘‘(B) any other applicable deadline re21 quired by Federal law. 

22 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL OR DENIAL.— 

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

24 for denial of an application for a permit or 


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1 other approval described in paragraph (1), the 

2 Secretary shall grant the permit or approval. 

3 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—If the Secretary de4 nies an application for a permit or other ap5 proval under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

6 shall provide to the applicant written notice ex7 plaining the grounds for the denial.’’. 

Æ 


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