I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 900 
To establish procedures for causes and claims relating to the leasing of 
Federal lands (including submerged lands) for the exploration, develop-
ment, production, processing, or transmission of oil, natural gas, or 
any other source or form of energy, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2009 
Mr. SHADEGG (for himself, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. CARTER, 
Mr. HERGER, Mrs. MCMORRIS
RODGERS, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. 
MCCOTTER, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, Ms. FOXX, Mr. DANIEL E. 
LUNGREN of California, Mr. PITTS, Mr. MILLER of Florida, and Mrs. 
MYRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To establish procedures for causes and claims relating to 
the leasing of Federal lands (including submerged lands) 
for the exploration, development, production, processing, 
or transmission of oil, natural gas, or any other source 
or form of energy, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. STATEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY. 
Congress enacts this Act pursuant to its authority 
under— 
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(1) article I of the Constitution, to regulate 
commerce; 
(2) article I of the Constitution, to make all 
laws necessary and proper to carry into execution 
the other powers of Congress and other powers vest-
ed by the Constitution in the Government of the 
United States and its officers and departments; 
(3) article III of the Constitution, to define and 
regulate the jurisdiction of Federal courts; and 
(4) article IV of the Constitution, to make 
needful regulations respecting the territory or other 
property of the United States. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States spends over $1 billion per 
day to import crude oil from foreign countries; 
(2) such expenditure represents the largest 
wealth transfer in history; 
(3) environmental groups have legally chal-
lenged every lease in the Alaskan Outer Continental 
Shelf in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas; 
(4) environmental groups have legally chal-
lenged the entire 2007–2012 5-year national Outer 
Continental Shelf leasing program; 
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(5) such legal challenges significantly delay or 
ultimately prevent energy resources from reaching 
the American public; 
(6) these legal challenges come at a high cost 
to the American public and the American economy; 
and 
(7) Congress finds that expedited judicial re-
view is necessary to prevent this gross abuse of the 
United States judicial system. 
SEC. 3. EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OVER CAUSES AND 
CLAIMS RELATING TO COVERED ENERGY 
PROJECTS. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
United States District Court for the District of Columbia 
shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear all causes and 
claims under this Act or any other Act that arise from 
any covered energy project. 
SEC. 4. TIME FOR FILING COMPLAINT. 
All causes and claims referred to in section 3 must 
be filed not later than the end of the 60-day period begin-
ning on the date of the action or decision by a Federal 
official that constitutes the covered energy project con-
cerned. Any cause or claim not filed within that time pe-
riod shall be barred. 
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SEC. 5. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
DEADLINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—All proceedings that are subject 
to section 3— 
(1) shall be resolved as expeditiously as pos-
sible, and in any event not more than 180 days after 
such cause or claim is filed; and 
(2) shall take precedence over all other pending 
matters before the district court. 
(b) FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH DEADLINE.—If an 
interlocutory or final judgment, decree, or order has not 
been issued by the district court by the deadline described 
under this section, the cause or claim shall be dismissed 
with prejudice and all rights relating to such cause or 
claim shall be terminated. 
SEC. 6. ABILITY TO SEEK APPELLATE REVIEW. 
An interlocutory or final judgment, decree, or order 
of the district court may be reviewed by no other court 
except the Supreme Court. 
SEC. 7. DEADLINE FOR APPEAL TO THE SUPREME COURT. 
If a writ of certiorari has been granted by the Su-
preme Court pursuant to section 6, then— 
(1) the interlocutory or final judgment, decree, 
or order of the district court shall be resolved as ex-
peditiously as possible and in any event not more 
than 180 days after such interlocutory or final judg-
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ment, decree, order of the district court is issued; 
and 
(2) all such proceedings shall take precedence 
over all other matters then before the Supreme 
Court. 
SEC. 8. COVERED ENERGY PROJECT DEFINED. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘covered energy project’’ means 
any action or decision by a Federal official regarding— 
(1) the leasing of Federal lands (including sub-
merged lands) for the exploration, development, pro-
duction, processing, or transmission of oil, natural 
gas, or any other source or form of energy, including 
actions and decisions regarding the selection or of-
fering of Federal lands for such leasing; or 
(2) any action under such a lease. 
Æ 
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