I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 838
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a fee on the
importation of crude oil or refined petroleum products.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 4, 1993
Mr. JEFFERSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose
a fee on the importation of crude oil or refined petroleum
products.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Energy Security Tax
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FEE ON IMPORTED CRUDE OIL OR REFINED PETRO-
LEUM PRODUCTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of the Internal Reve-
nue Code of 1986 (relating to alcohol, tobacco, and certain
other excise taxes) is amended by adding at the end there-
of the following new chapter:
‘‘CHAPTER 55—IMPORTED CRUDE OIL, RE-
FINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, AND
PETROCHEMICAL 
FEEDSTOCKS 
OR
DERIVATIVES
‘‘Sec. 5886. Imposition of tax.
‘‘Sec. 5887. Definitions.
‘‘Sec. 5888. Registration.
‘‘Sec. 5889. Procedures; returns; penalties.
‘‘Sec. 5890. Adjustment for inflation.
‘‘SEC. 5886. IMPOSITION OF TAX.
‘‘(a) IMPOSITION OF TAX.—In addition to any other
tax imposed under this title, an excise tax is hereby im-
posed on—
‘‘(1) the first sale within the United States of—
‘‘(A) any crude oil,
‘‘(B) any refined petroleum product, or
‘‘(C) any petrochemical feedstock or petro-
chemical derivative,
that has been imported into the United States, and
‘‘(2) the use within the United States of—
‘‘(A) any crude oil,
‘‘(B) any refined petroleum product, or
‘‘(C) any petrochemical feedstock or petro-
chemical derivative,
that has been imported into the United States if no
tax has been imposed with respect to such crude oil
or refined petroleum product prior to such use.
‘‘(b) RATE OF TAX.—
‘‘(1) CRUDE OIL.—For purposes of paragraphs
(1)(A) and (2)(A) of subsection (a) the rate of tax
shall be the excess, if any, of—
‘‘(A) $25 per barrel, over
‘‘(B) the most recently published average
price of a barrel of internationally traded oil.
‘‘(2) REFINED
PETROLEUM
PRODUCT.—For
purposes of paragraphs (1)(B) and (2)(B) of sub-
section (a), the rate of tax shall be the excess, if
any, of—
‘‘(A) $27.50 per barrel, over
‘‘(B) the most recently published average
price of a barrel of internationally traded oil.
‘‘(3) PETROCHEMICAL FEEDSTOCK OR PETRO-
CHEMICAL
DERIVATIVE.—For purposes of para-
graphs (1)(C) and (2)(C) of subsection (a), the rate
of tax shall be equal to the rate of tax determined
under paragraph (2) of this subsection, except that
‘barrel equivalent of crude oil feedstocks used in the
manufacture of such petrochemical feedstocks or pe-
trochemical derivative’ shall be substituted for ‘bar-
rel’ in paragraph (2)(A) of this subsection.
‘‘(4) FRACTIONAL PARTS OF BARRELS.—In the
case of a fraction of a barrel, the tax imposed by
subsection (a) shall be the same fraction of the
amount of such tax imposed on the whole barrel.
‘‘(c) DETERMINATION OF AVERAGE PRICE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the average price of internationally traded oil
with respect to any week during which the tax under
subsection (a) is imposed shall be determined by the
Secretary and published in the Federal Register on
the first day of such week.
‘‘(2) BASIS OF DETERMINATION.—For purposes
of paragraph (1), the Secretary, after consultation
with the Administrator of the Energy Information
Administration of the Department of Energy, shall
determine the average price of internationally traded
oil for the preceding 4 weeks, pursuant to the for-
mula for determining such international price as is
used in publishing the Weekly Petroleum Status Re-
port and as is in effect on the date of enactment of
this section.
‘‘(d) LIABILITY FOR PAYMENT OF TAX.—