I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 112
To require a temporary moratorium on leasing, exploration, and development
on lands of the Outer Continental Shelf off the State of California,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 6, 1999
Mr. CUNNINGHAM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To require a temporary moratorium on leasing, exploration,
and development on lands of the Outer Continental Shelf
off the State of California, 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. PRELEASING AND LEASING ACTIVITIES.
The Secretary of the Interior shall not conduct a
lease sale or issue a lease for oil or gas under the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) in
the Southern California, Central California, or Northern
California Planning Areas until the later of—
(1) January 1, 2009; or
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(2) 45 days of continuous session of the Con-
gress after the issuance of the final environmental
impact statement relating to the second 5 year oil
and gas leasing program prepared under section 18
of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act after the
date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 2. EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
(a) MORATORIUM.—The Secretary of the Interior
shall not approve any exploration plan, development and
production plan, or application for permit to drill, or per-
mit any drilling, for oil or gas under the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) on any lands
of the Outer Continental Shelf in the Southern California,
Central California, or Northern California Planning Areas
until 45 days of continuous session of the Congress after
submittal to the Congress of the completed studies de-
scribed in subsection (b).
(b) STUDIES.—
(1) DESCRIPTION OF STUDIES REQUIRED.—The
studies required under subsection (a) are studies
with respect to the Southern California, Central
California, and Northern California Planning Areas
to acquire information found inadequate for Outer
Continental Shelf lands offshore California by the
National Research Council report entitled ‘‘The Ade-
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quacy of Environmental Information for Outer Con-
tinental Shelf Oil and Gas Decisions: Florida and
California’’ issued in 1989 by the National Research
Council’s Committee to Review the Outer Continen-
tal Shelf Environmental Studies Program, and sup-
ported by the President’s Outer Continental Shelf
Leasing and Development Task Force through De-
partment 
of 
the 
Interior 
Contract 
No.
1435000130495.
(2) PEER
REVIEW
REQUIREMENT.—No study
described in paragraph (1) shall be considered com-
pleted unless such study has been reviewed, before
submittal to the Congress, by at least 3 scientists
who—
(A) shall be nominated by the Scripps In-
stitute of Oceanography and approved by the
Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of
the State of California;
(B) are not employees of the Department
of the Interior; and
(C) are well qualified in the scientific dis-
ciplines required for performance of the particu-
lar study or studies they review.
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SEC. 3. CONTINUOUS SESSION OF CONGRESS.
In computing any 45-day period of continuous session
of Congress under this Act—
(1) continuity of session is broken only by an
adjournment of the Congress sine die; and
(2) the days on which either House of Congress
is not in session because of an adjournment of more
than 3 days to a day certain are excluded.
Æ