nology from sites on leases located outside the Spe-
cial Area. 
(f) LIMITATION
ON
CLOSED
AREAS.—The Sec-
retary’s sole authority to close lands within the Coastal 
Plain to oil and gas leasing and to exploration, develop-
ment, and production is that set forth in this Act. 
(g) REGULATIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall pre-
scribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry 
out this Act, including rules and regulations relating 
to protection of the fish and wildlife, their habitat, 
subsistence resources, and environment of the Coast-
al Plain, by no later than 15 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(2) REVISION
OF
REGULATIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall periodically review and, if appropriate, 
revise the rules and regulations issued under sub-
section (a) to reflect any significant biological, envi-
ronmental, or engineering data that come to the Sec-
retary’s attention. 
SEC. 4. LEASE SALES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Lands may be leased pursuant to 
this Act to any person qualified to obtain a lease for depos-
its of oil and gas under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 
U.S.C. 181 et seq.). 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
19:59 May 24, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6107.IH
H6107
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
(b) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall, by regula-
tion, establish procedures for— 
(1) receipt and consideration of sealed nomina-
tions for any area in the Coastal Plain for inclusion 
in, or exclusion (as provided in subsection (c)) from, 
a lease sale; 
(2) the holding of lease sales after such nomina-
tion process; and 
(3) public notice of and comment on designa-
tion of areas to be included in, or excluded from, a 
lease sale. 
(c) LEASE SALE BIDS.—Bidding for leases under 
this Act shall be by sealed competitive cash bonus bids. 
(d) ACREAGE MINIMUM IN FIRST SALE.—In the first 
lease sale under this Act, the Secretary shall offer for lease 
those tracts the Secretary considers to have the greatest 
potential for the discovery of hydrocarbons, taking into 
consideration nominations received pursuant to subsection 
(b)(1), but in no case less than 200,000 acres. 
(e) TIMING
OF
LEASE
SALES.—The Secretary 
shall— 
(1) conduct the first lease sale under this Act 
within 22 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
19:59 May 24, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6107.IH
H6107
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
(2) evaluate the bids in such sale and issue 
leases resulting from such sale, within 90 days after 
the date of the completion of such sale; and 
(3) conduct additional sales so long as sufficient 
interest in development exists to warrant, in the Sec-
retary’s judgment, the conduct of such sales. 
SEC. 5. GRANT OF LEASES BY THE SECRETARY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may grant to the 
highest responsible qualified bidder in a lease sale con-
ducted pursuant to section 4 any lands to be leased on 
the Coastal Plain upon payment by the lessee of such 
bonus as may be accepted by the Secretary. 
(b) SUBSEQUENT
TRANSFERS.—No lease issued 
under this Act may be sold, exchanged, assigned, sublet, 
or otherwise transferred except with the approval of the 
Secretary. Prior to any such approval the Secretary shall 
consult with, and give due consideration to the views of, 
the Attorney General. 
SEC. 6. LEASE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An oil or gas lease issued pursu-
ant to this Act shall— 
(1) provide for the payment of a royalty of not 
less than 121⁄2 percent in amount or value of the 
production removed or sold from the lease, as deter-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
19:59 May 24, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6107.IH
H6107
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
mined by the Secretary under the regulations appli-
cable to other Federal oil and gas leases; 
(2) provide that the Secretary may close, on a 
seasonal basis, portions of the Coastal Plain to ex-
ploratory drilling activities as necessary to protect 
caribou calving areas and other species of fish and 
wildlife; 
(3) require that the lessee of lands within the 
Coastal Plain shall be fully responsible and liable for 
the reclamation of lands within the Coastal Plain 
and any other Federal lands that are adversely af-
fected in connection with exploration, development, 
production, or transportation activities conducted 
under the lease and within the Coastal Plain by the 
lessee or by any of the subcontractors or agents of 
the lessee; 
(4) provide that the lessee may not delegate or 
convey, by contract or otherwise, the reclamation re-
sponsibility and liability to another person without 
the express written approval of the Secretary; 
(5) provide that the standard of reclamation for 
lands required to be reclaimed under this Act shall 
be, as nearly as practicable, a condition capable of 
supporting the uses which the lands were capable of 
supporting prior to any exploration, development, or 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
19:59 May 24, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6107.IH
H6107
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
production activities, or upon application by the les-
see, to a higher or better use as approved by the 
Secretary; 
(6) contain terms and conditions relating to 
protection of fish and wildlife, their habitat, subsist-
ence resources, and the environment as required 
pursuant to section 3(a)(2); 
(7) provide that the lessee, its agents, and its 
contractors use best efforts to provide a fair share, 
as determined by the level of obligation previously 
agreed to in the 1974 agreement implementing sec-
tion 29 of the Federal Agreement and Grant of 
Right of Way for the Operation of the Trans-Alaska 
Pipeline, of employment and contracting for Alaska 
Natives and Alaska Native Corporations from 
throughout the State; 
(8) prohibit the export of oil produced under 
the lease; and 
(9) contain such other provisions as the Sec-
retary determines necessary to ensure compliance 
with the provisions of this Act and the regulations 
issued under this Act. 
(b) PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary, 
as a term and condition of each lease under this Act and 
in recognizing the Government’s proprietary interest in 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
19:59 May 24, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6107.IH
H6107
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS