I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2803 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, to conduct a technological capability assessment, survey, and economic feasibility study regarding recovery of minerals, other than oil and natural gas, from the 

shallow and deep seabed of the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 5, 2011 

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 

Enforcement, to conduct a technological capability assessment, survey, and economic feasibility study regarding recovery of minerals, other than oil and natural 

gas, from the shallow and deep seabed of the United 

States. 

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


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•HR 2803 IH

1 SECTION 1. TECHNOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, SURVEY, AND 

2 STUDY OF SHALLOW AND DEEP SEABED MIN3 ERALS. 

4 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of the Interior, 

5 acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

6 Regulation and Enforcement and in consultation with the 

7 heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall con8 duct— 

9 (1) a survey of the shallow and deep seabed of 

10 the United States to identify sites for the recovery 

11 of such minerals; and 

12 (2) an assessment of all available domestic tech13 nological capabilities required for the location and 

14 the efficient and environmentally sound recovery of 

15 minerals, other than oil and natural gas, from the 

16 shallow and deep seabed of the United States; and 

17 (3) an economic feasibility study on the recov18 ery of such minerals. 

19 (b) REPORT.—No later than 2 years after the date 

20 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a re21 port to Congress containing the findings and recommenda22 tions of the assessment, survey, and study under this sec23 tion. 

24 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section the term ‘‘shallow 

25 and deep seabed of the United States’’— 


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•HR 2803 IH

1 (1) means areas of the seabed that are contig2 uous to and within 200 miles of the territorial sea 

3 of the United States and the resources of which are 

4 subject to its jurisdiction or control; and 

5 (2) includes such areas that are contiguous to 

6 and within 200 miles of the territorial sea around 

7 any inhabited and uninhabited territory or posses8 sion of the United States including American 

9 Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

10 Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 

11 Midway Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, 

12 Palau, Marshall Islands, Wake Island, Johnston 

13 Atoll, Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, Kingman 

14 Reef, Navassa Island, Serranilla Bank, Bajo Nuevo 

15 Bank, and Palmyra Atoll. 

16 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

17 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

18 out this Act $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 and 

19 2013. 

Æ 


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