HR 4761 PCS 
riculum appropriate to the field of mineral resources 
and mineral engineering and related fields; 
‘‘(2) establish policies and procedures that as-
sure that Federal funds made available under this 
Act for any fiscal year will supplement and, to the 
extent practicable, increase the level of funds that 
would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be 
made available for purposes of this Act, and in no 
case supplant such funds; and 
‘‘(3) have an officer appointed by its governing 
authority who shall receive and account for all funds 
paid under this Act and shall make an annual report 
to the Secretary on or before the first day of Sep-
tember of each year, on work accomplished and the 
status of projects underway, together with a detailed 
statement of the amounts received under this Act 
during the preceding fiscal year, and of its disburse-
ments on schedules prescribed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(d) If any of the funds received by the authorized 
receiving officer of a program under this Act are found 
by the Secretary to have been improperly diminished, lost, 
or misapplied, such funds shall be recovered by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(e) Schools, universities, and institutions receiving 
funds under this Act are authorized and encouraged to 
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plan and conduct programs under this Act in cooperation 
with each other and with such other agencies, business en-
terprises and individuals. 
‘‘SEC. 9. DUTIES OF SECRETARY. 
‘‘(a) The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary for Land and Minerals Management, shall admin-
ister this Act and shall prescribe such rules and regula-
tions as may be necessary to carry out its provisions not 
later than 1 year after the enactment of the Deep Ocean 
Energy Resources Act of 2006. 
‘‘(b)(1) There is established in the Department of the 
Interior, under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary 
for Land and Minerals Management, an office to be known 
as the Office of Petroleum and Mining Schools (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ‘Office’) to administer the 
provisions of this Act. There shall be a Director of the 
Office who shall be a member of the Senior Executive 
Service. The position of the Director shall be allocated 
from among the existing Senior Executive Service posi-
tions at the Department of the Interior and shall be a 
career reserved position as defined in section 3132(a)(8) 
of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(2) The Director is authorized to appoint a Deputy 
Director and to employ such officers and employees as 
may be necessary to enable the Office to carry out its func-
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tions. Such appointments shall be made from existing po-
sitions at the Department of the Interior, and shall be sub-
ject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, gov-
erning appointments in the competitive service. Such posi-
tions shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of 
chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title 
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. 
‘‘(3) In carrying out his or her functions, the Director 
shall assist and advise the Secretary and the Committee 
pursuant to section 11 of this Act by— 
‘‘(A) providing professional and administrative 
staff support for the Committee including record-
keeping and maintaining minutes of all Committee 
and subcommittee meetings; 
‘‘(B) coordinating the activities of the Com-
mittee with Federal agencies and departments, and 
the schools, universities, and institutions to which 
funds are provided under this Act; 
‘‘(C) maintaining accurate records of funds dis-
bursed for all scholarship and fellowship grants, re-
search grants, and grants for career technical edu-
cation purposes; 
‘‘(D) preparing any regulations required to im-
plement this Act; 
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‘‘(E) conducting site visits at schools, univer-
sities, and institutions receiving funding under this 
Act; and 
‘‘(F) serving as a central repository for reports 
and clearing house for public information on re-
search funded by this Act. 
‘‘(4) The Director or an employee of the Office shall 
be present at each meeting of the Committee pursuant to 
section 11 or a subcommittee of such Committee. 
‘‘(5) The Director is authorized to contract with pub-
lic or private agencies, institutions, and organizations and 
with individuals without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) 
of title 31, United States Code, and section 5 of title 41, 
United States Code, in carrying out his or her functions. 
‘‘(6) As needed the Director shall ascertain whether 
the requirements of this Act have been met by schools, 
universities, institutions, and individuals. 
‘‘(c) The Secretary, acting through the Office of Pe-
troleum and Mining Schools, shall furnish such advice and 
assistance as will best promote the purposes of this Act, 
shall participate in coordinating research, investigations, 
demonstrations, and experiments initiated under this Act, 
shall indicate to schools, universities, and institutions re-
ceiving funds under this Act such lines of inquiry that 
seem most important, and shall encourage and assist in 
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the establishment and maintenance of cooperation between 
such schools, universities, and institutions, other research 
organizations, the Department of the Interior, and other 
Federal agencies. 
‘‘(d) The Secretary shall establish procedures— 
‘‘(1) to ensure that each employee and con-
tractor of the Office established by this section and 
each member of the Committee pursuant to section 
11 of this Act shall disclose to the Secretary any fi-
nancial interests in or financial relationships with 
schools, universities, institutions or individuals re-
ceiving funds, scholarships or fellowships under this 
Act; 
‘‘(2) to require any employee, contractor, or 
member of the Committee with a financial relation-
ship disclosed under paragraph (1) to recuse them-
selves from— 
‘‘(A) any recommendation or decision re-
garding the awarding of funds, scholarships or 
fellowships; or 
‘‘(B) any review, report, analysis or inves-
tigation regarding compliance with the provi-
sions of this Act by a school, university, institu-
tion or any individual. 
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‘‘(e) On or before the first day of July of each year 
beginning after the date of enactment of this sentence, 
schools, universities, and institutions receiving funds 
under this Act shall certify compliance with this Act and 
upon request of the Director of the office established by 
this section provide documentation of such compliance. 
‘‘(f) An individual granted a scholarship or fellowship 
with funds provided under this Act shall through their re-
spective school, university, or institution, advise the Direc-
tor of the office established by this Act of progress towards 
completion of the course of studies and upon the awarding 
of the degree within 30 days after the award. 
‘‘(g) The regulations required by this section shall in-
clude a preference for veterans and service members who 
have received or will receive either the Afghanistan Cam-
paign Medal or the Iraq Campaign Medal as authorized 
by Public Law 108–234, and Executive Order No. 13363. 
‘‘SEC. 10. COORDINATION. 
‘‘(a) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair 
or modify the legal relationship existing between any of 
the schools, universities, and institutions under whose di-
rection a program is established with funds provided under 
this Act and the government of the State in which it is 
located. Nothing in this Act shall in any way be construed 
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to authorize Federal control or direction of education at 
any school, university, or institution. 
‘‘(b) The programs authorized by this Act are in-
tended to enhance the Nation’s petroleum, mining, and 
mineral engineering education programs and to enhance 
educational programs in petroleum and mining exploration 
and to increase the number of individuals enrolled in and 
completing these programs. To achieve this intent, the 
Secretary and the Committee pursuant to section 11 shall 
receive the continuing advice and cooperation of all agen-
cies of the Federal Government concerned with the identi-
fication, exploration, and development of energy and min-
eral resources. 
‘‘(c) Nothing in this Act is intended to give or shall 
be construed as giving the Secretary any authority over 
mining and mineral resources research conducted by any 
agency of the Federal Government, or as repealing or di-
minishing existing authorities or responsibilities of any 
agency of the Federal Government to plan and conduct, 
contract for, or assist in research in its area of responsi-
bility and concern with regard to mining and mineral re-
sources. 
‘‘(d) The schools, universities, and institutions receiv-
ing funding under this Act shall make detailed reports to 
the Office of Petroleum and Mining Schools on projects 
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completed, in progress, or planned with funds provided 
under this Act. All such reports shall be available to the 
public on not less than an annual basis through the Office 
of Petroleum and Mining Schools. All uses, products, proc-
esses, and other developments resulting from any re-
search, demonstration, or experiment funded in whole or 
in part under this Act shall be made available promptly 
to the general public, subject to exception or limitation, 
if any, as the Secretary may find necessary in the interest 
of national security, and subject to the applicable Federal 
law governing patents. 
‘‘SEC. 11. COMMITTEE ON PETROLEUM, MINING, AND MIN-
ERAL ENGINEERING AND ENERGY AND MIN-
ERAL RESOURCE EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall appoint a Committee on Pe-
troleum, Mining, and Mineral Engineering and Energy 
and Mineral Resource Education composed of— 
‘‘(1) the Assistant Secretary of the Interior re-
sponsible for land and minerals management and 
not more than 16 other persons who are knowledge-
able in the fields of mining and mineral resources re-
search, including 2 university administrators one of 
whom shall be from historic and existing petroleum 
and mining schools; a community, technical, or tribal 
college administrator; a career technical education 
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educator; 6 representatives equally distributed from 
the petroleum, mining, and aggregate industries; a 
working miner; a working oilfield worker; a rep-
resentative of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact 
Commission; a representative from the Interstate 
Mining Compact Commission; a representative from 
the Western Governors Association; a representative 
of the State geologists, and a representative of a 
State mining and reclamation agency. In making 
these 16 appointments, the Secretary shall consult 
with interested groups. 
‘‘(2) The Assistant Secretary for Land and 
Minerals Management, in the capacity of the Chair-
man of the Committee, may have present during 
meetings of the Committee representatives of Fed-
eral agencies with responsibility for energy and min-
erals resources management, energy and mineral re-
source investigations, energy and mineral commodity 
information, international trade in energy and min-
eral commodities, mining safety regulation and mine 
safety research, and research into the development, 
production, and utilization of energy and mineral 
commodities. These representatives shall serve as 
technical advisors to the committee and shall have 
no voting responsibilities. 
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‘‘(b) The Committee shall consult with, and make rec-
ommendations to, the Secretary on policy matters relating 
to carrying out this Act. The Secretary shall consult with 
and carefully consider recommendations of the Committee 
in such matters. 
‘‘(c) Committee members, other than officers or em-
ployees of Federal, State, or local governments, shall be, 
for each day (including traveltime) during which they are 
performing Committee business, paid at a rate fixed by 
the Secretary but not in excess of the daily equivalent of 
the maximum rate of pay for level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5136 of title 5, United States 
Code, and shall be fully reimbursed for travel, subsistence, 
and related expenses. 
‘‘(d) The Committee shall be chaired by the Assistant 
Secretary of the Interior responsible for land and minerals 
management. There shall also be elected a Vice Chairman 
by the Committee from among the members referred to 
in this section. The Vice Chairman shall perform such du-
ties as are determined to be appropriate by the committee, 
except that the Chairman of the Committee must person-
ally preside at all meetings of the full Committee. The 
Committee may organize itself into such subcommittees as 
the Committee may deem appropriate. 
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‘‘(e) Following completion of the report required by 
section 385 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Com-
mittee shall consider the recommendations of the report, 
ongoing efforts in the schools, universities, and institu-
tions receiving funding under this Act, the Federal and 
State Governments, and the private sector, and shall for-
mulate and recommend to the Secretary a national plan 
for a program utilizing the fiscal resources provided under 
this Act. The Committee shall submit such plan to the 
Secretary for approval. Upon approval, the plan shall 
guide the Secretary and the Committee in their actions 
under this Act. 
‘‘(f) Section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2) shall not apply to the Committee. 
‘‘SEC. 12. CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) Up to 25 percent of the annual outlay of funds 
authorized by section 23(d) of the Deep Ocean Energy Re-
sources Act of 2006 may be granted to schools or institu-
tions including, but not limited to, colleges, universities, 
community colleges, tribal colleges and universities, tech-
nical institutes, secondary schools, other than those de-
scribed in sections 3, 4, 5, and 6, and jointly sponsored 
apprenticeship and training programs that are authorized 
by Federal law. 
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‘‘(b) The Secretary shall determine the eligibility of 
a school or institution to receive funding under this section 
using criteria that include— 
‘‘(1) the presence of a State-approved program 
in mining engineering technology, petroleum engi-
neering technology, industrial engineering tech-
nology, or industrial technology that— 
‘‘(A) is focused on technology and its use 
in energy and mineral production and related 
maintenance, operational safety, or energy in-
frastructure protection and security; 
‘‘(B) prepares students for advanced or su-
pervisory roles in the mining industry or the pe-
troleum industry; and 
‘‘(C) grants either an associate’s degree or 
a baccalaureate degree in one of the subjects 
listed in subparagraph (A); 
‘‘(2) the presence of a program, including a sec-
ondary school vocational education program or ca-
reer academy, that provides training for individuals 
entering the petroleum, coal mining, or mineral min-
ing industries; or 
‘‘(3) the presence of a State-approved program 
of career technical education at a secondary school, 
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offered cooperatively with a community college in 
one of the industrial sectors of— 
‘‘(A) agriculture, forestry, or fisheries; 
‘‘(B) utilities; 
‘‘(C) construction; 
‘‘(D) manufacturing; and 
‘‘(E) transportation and warehousing. 
‘‘(c) Schools or institutions receiving funds under this 
section must show evidence of an institutional commit-
ment for the purposes of career technical education and 
provide evidence that the school or institution has received 
or will receive industry cooperation in the form of equip-
ment, employee time, or donations of funds to support the 
activities that are within the scope of this section. 
‘‘(d) Schools or institutions receiving funds under 
this section must agree to maintain the programs for 
which the funding is sought for a period of 10 years begin-
ning on the date the school or institution receives such 
funds, unless the Secretary finds that a shorter period of 
time is appropriate for the local labor market or is re-
quired by State authorities. 
‘‘(e) Schools or institutions receiving funds under this 
section may combine these funds with State funds, and 
other Federal funds where allowed by law, to carry out 
programs described in this section, however the use of the 
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funds received under this section must be reported to the 
Secretary not less than annually. 
‘‘(f) The Secretary shall seek the advice of the Com-
mittee established pursuant to section 11 in determining 
the criteria used to carry out this section. 
‘‘SEC. 13. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WORKFORCE EN-
HANCEMENT. 
‘‘(a) PHYSICAL SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECH-
NOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) From the amount of funds available to 
carry out this section, the Secretary shall use 30 
percent of that amount to provide financial assist-
ance for education in physical sciences, engineering, 
and engineering or industrial technology and dis-
ciplines that, as determined by the Secretary, are 
critical to the functions of the Department of the In-
terior and are needed in the Department of the Inte-
rior workforce. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of the Interior may award 
a scholarship in accordance with this section to a 
person who— 
‘‘(A) is a citizen of the United States; 
‘‘(B) is pursuing an undergraduate or ad-
vanced degree in a critical skill or discipline de-
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scribed in paragraph (1) at an institution of 
higher education; and 
‘‘(C) enters into a service agreement with 
the Secretary of the Interior as described in 
subsection (e). 
‘‘(3) The amount of the financial assistance 
provided under a scholarship awarded to a person 
under this subsection shall be the amount deter-
mined by the Secretary of the Interior as being nec-
essary to pay all educational expenses incurred by 
that person, including tuition, fees, cost of books, 
laboratory expenses, and expenses of room and 
board. The expenses paid, however, shall be limited 
to those educational expenses normally incurred by 
students at the institution of higher education in-
volved. 
‘‘(b) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS AT-
TENDING MINORITY SERVING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTI-
TUTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) From the amount of funds available to 
carry out this section, the Secretary shall use 35 
percent of that amount to award scholarships in ac-
cordance with this section to persons who— 
‘‘(A) are enrolled in a Minority Serving 
Higher Education Institutions. 
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‘‘(B) are citizens or nationals of the 
United States; 
‘‘(C) are pursuing an undergraduate or ad-
vanced degree in agriculture, engineering, engi-
neering or industrial technology, or physical 
sciences, or other discipline that is found by the 
Secretary to be critical to the functions of the 
Department of the Interior and are needed in 
the Department of the Interior workforce; and 
‘‘(D) enter into a service agreement with 
the Secretary of the Interior as described in 
subsection (e). 
‘‘(2) The amount of the financial assistance 
provided under a scholarship awarded to a person 
under this subsection shall be the amount deter-
mined by the Secretary of the Interior as being nec-
essary to pay all educational expenses incurred by 
that person, including tuition, fees, cost of books, 
laboratory expenses, and expenses of room and 
board. The expenses paid, however, shall be limited 
to those educational expenses normally incurred by 
students at the institution of higher education in-
volved. 
‘‘(c) EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS WITH MINORITY 
SERVING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.— 
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‘‘(1) The Secretary shall require the director of 
each Bureau and Office, to foster the participation 
of Minority Serving Higher Education Institutions 
in any regulatory activity, land management activity, 
science activity, engineering or industrial technology 
activity, or engineering activity carried out by the 
Department of the Interior. 
‘‘(2) From the amount of funds available to 
carry out this section, the Secretary shall use 35 
percent of that amount to support activities at Mi-
nority Serving Higher Education Institutions by— 
‘‘(A) funding faculty and students in these 
institutions in collaborative research projects 
that are directly related to the Departmental or 
Bureau missions; 
‘‘(B) allowing equipment transfer to Mi-
nority Serving Higher Education Institutions as 
a part of a collaborative research program di-
rectly related to a Departmental or Bureau mis-
sion; 
‘‘(C) allowing faculty and students at these 
Minority Serving Higher Education Institutions 
to participate Departmental and Bureau train-
ing activities; 
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‘‘(D) funding paid internships in Depart-
mental and Bureau facilities for students at Mi-
nority Serving Higher Education Institutions; 
‘‘(E) assigning Departmental and Bureau 
personnel to positions located at Minority Serv-
ing Higher Educational Institutions to serve as 
mentors to students interested in a science, 
technology or engineering disciplines related to 
the mission of the Department or the Bureaus. 
‘‘(d) SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR RECIPIENTS OF AS-
SISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) To receive financial assistance under sub-
section (a) or (b) of this section— 
‘‘(A) in the case of an employee of the De-
partment of the Interior, the employee shall 
enter into a written agreement to continue in 
the employment of the department for the pe-
riod of obligated service determined under para-
graph (2); and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a person not an em-
ployee of the Department of the Interior, the 
person shall enter into a written agreement to 
accept and continue employment in the Depart-
ment of the Interior for the period of obligated 
service determined under paragraph (2). 
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‘‘(2) For the purposes of this section, the period 
of obligated service for a recipient of a scholarship 
under this section shall be the period determined by 
the Secretary of the Interior as being appropriate to 
obtain adequate service in exchange for the financial 
assistance provided under the scholarship. In no 
event may the period of service required of a recipi-
ent be less than the total period of pursuit of a de-
gree that is covered by the scholarship. The period 
of obligated service is in addition to any other period 
for which the recipient is obligated to serve in the 
civil service of the United States. 
‘‘(3) An agreement entered into under this sub-
section by a person pursuing an academic degree 
shall include any terms and conditions that the Sec-
retary of the Interior determines necessary to pro-
tect the interests of the United States or otherwise 
appropriate for carrying out this section. 
‘‘(e) REFUND
FOR PERIOD
OF UNSERVED OBLI-
GATED SERVICE.— 
‘‘(1) A person who voluntarily terminates serv-
ice before the end of the period of obligated service 
required under an agreement entered into under 
subsection (d) shall refund to the United States an 
amount determined by the Secretary of the Interior 
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as being appropriate to obtain adequate service in 
exchange for financial assistance. 
‘‘(2) An obligation to reimburse the United 
States imposed under paragraph (1) is for all pur-
poses a debt owed to the United States. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary of the Interior may waive, 
in whole or in part, a refund required under para-
graph (1) if the Secretary determines that recovery 
would be against equity and good conscience or 
would be contrary to the best interests of the United 
States. 
‘‘(4) A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11, 
United States Code, that is entered less than five 
years after the termination of an agreement under 
this section does not discharge the person signing 
such agreement from a debt arising under such 
agreement or under this subsection. 
‘‘(f) RELATIONSHIP
TO OTHER PROGRAMS.—The 
Secretary of the Interior shall coordinate the provision of 
financial assistance under the authority of this section 
with the provision of financial assistance under the au-
thorities provided in this Act in order to maximize the ben-
efits derived by the Department of Interior from the exer-
cise of all such authorities. 
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‘‘(g) REPORT.—Not later than September 1 of each 
year, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Con-
gress a report on the status of the assistance program car-
ried out under this section. The report shall describe the 
programs within the Department designed to recruit and 
retain a workforce on a short-term basis and on a long- 
term basis. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘Minority Serving Higher Edu-
cation Institutions’ means a Hispanic-serving insti-
tution, historically Black college or university, Alas-
ka Native-serving institution, tribal college or uni-
versity, or insular area school. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 502(a) of the 
Higher 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
1101a(a)). 
‘‘(3) The term ‘historically Black college or uni-
versity’ has the meaning given the term ‘part B in-
stitution’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 
‘‘(4) The term ‘tribal college or university’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘Tribal College or Uni-
versity’ in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c). 
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HR 4761 PCS 
‘‘(5) The term ‘institution of higher education’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001). 
‘‘(6) The term ‘Alaska Native-serving institu-
tion’ has the meaning given the term in section 317 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1059d). 
‘‘(7) The term ‘insular area school’ means an 
academic institution or university in American 
Samoa, Guam, The Northern Mariana Islands, 
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, or any other 
territory or possession of the United States. 
‘‘(i) FUNDING.—To implement this section, the Sec-
retary shall use 3 percent of the annual outlay authorized 
by section 23(d) of the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act 
of 2006.’’. 
(b) FUNDING FOR ENERGY RESEARCH.— 
(1) Using 20 percent of the funds authorized by 
subsection (d), the Secretary of Energy, through the 
energy supply research and development programs of 
the Department of Energy, and in consultation with 
the Office of Science of the Department of Energy, 
shall carry out a program to award grants to institu-
tions of higher education on the basis of competitive, 
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merit-based review, for the purpose of conducting re-
search on advanced energy technologies with the po-
tential to transform the energy systems of the 
United States so as to— 
(A) reduce dependence on foreign energy 
supplies; 
(B) reduce or eliminate emissions of green-
house gases; 
(C) reduce negative environmental effects 
associated with energy production, storage, and 
use; and 
(D) enhance the competitiveness of United 
States energy technology exports. 
(2) Awards made under this subsection may in-
clude funding for— 
(A) energy efficiency; 
(B) renewable energy, including solar, 
wind, and biofuels; and 
(C) nuclear, hydrogen, and any other en-
ergy research that could accomplish the purpose 
set forth in paragraph (1). 
(3) The Secretary of Energy may require or au-
thorize grantees under this subsection to partner 
with industry, but only to the extent that such a re-
quirement does not prevent long-range, potentially 
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pathbreaking research from being funded under this 
subsection. 
(4) An institution of higher education seeking 
funding under this subsection shall submit an appli-
cation at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary of Energy may re-
quire. 
(5) In this subsection, the term ‘‘institution of 
higher education’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965. 
(c) FUNDING FOR ENERGY SCHOLARSHIPS.— 
(1) Using 5 percent of the funds authorized by 
subsection (d), the Secretary of Energy, through the 
energy supply research and development programs of 
the Department of Energy, and in consultation with 
the Office of Science of the Department of Energy, 
shall carry out a program to award grants to institu-
tions of higher education on the basis of competitive, 
merit-based review, to grant graduate traineeships to 
Ph.D. students who are citizens of the United States 
who will carry out research on advanced energy tech-
nologies to accomplish the purpose set forth in sub-
section (c)(1). 
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HR 4761 PCS 
(2) Awards made under this subsection may in-
clude funding for— 
(A) energy efficiency; 
(B) renewable energy, including solar, 
wind, and biofuels; and 
(C) nuclear, hydrogen, and any other en-
ergy research that would accomplish the pur-
pose set forth in subsection (c)(1) that is not el-
igible for funding under section 7 of the Energy 
and Mineral Schools Reinvestment Act. 
(3) An institution of higher education seeking 
funding under this subsection shall submit an appli-
cation at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary of Energy may re-
quire. 
(4) In this subsection, the term ‘‘institution of 
higher education’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2017. 
SEC. 22. ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE MINERAL LEASE FEES. 
Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Depart-
ment of the Interior is prohibited from charging fees appli-
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cable to actions on Federal onshore and offshore oil and 
gas, coal, geothermal, and other mineral leases, including 
transportation of any production from such leases, if such 
fees were not established in final regulations prior to the 
date of issuance of the lease. 
SEC. 23. OCS REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS. 
The headquarters for the Gulf of Mexico Region shall 
permanently be located within the State of Louisiana with-
in 25 miles of the center of Jackson Square, New Orleans, 
Louisiana. Further, not later than July 1, 2008, the Sec-
retary of the Interior shall establish the headquarters for 
the Atlantic OCS Region and the headquarters for the Pa-
cific OCS Region within a State bordering the Atlantic 
OCS Region and a State bordering the Pacific OCS Re-
gion, respectively, from among the States bordering those 
Regions, that petitions by no later than January 1, 2008, 
for leasing, for oil and gas or natural gas, covering at least 
40 percent of the area of its Adjacent Zone within 100 
miles of the coastline. Such Atlantic and Pacific OCS Re-
gions headquarters shall be located within 25 miles of the 
coastline and each MMS OCS regional headquarters shall 
be the permanent duty station for all Minerals Manage-
ment Service personnel that on a daily basis spend on av-
erage 60 percent or more of their time in performance of 
duties in support of the activities of the respective Region, 
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except that the Minerals Management Service may house 
regional inspection staff in other locations. Each OCS Re-
gion shall each be led by a Regional Director who shall 
be an employee within the Senior Executive Service. 
SEC. 24. NATIONAL GEO FUND ACT OF 2006. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘National Geo Fund Act of 2006’’. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purpose of this section is to 
provide for the management of geologic programs, geologic 
mapping, geophysical and other seismic studies, seismic 
monitoring programs, and the preservation and use of geo-
logic and geophysical data, geothermal and geopressure 
energy resource management, unconventional energy re-
sources management, and renewable energy management 
associated with ocean wave, current, and thermal re-
sources. 
(c) STATE DEFINED.—In this section the term 
‘‘State’’ means the agency of a State designated by its 
Governor or State law to perform the functions and activi-
ties described in subsection (b). 
(d) STRATEGIC UNCONVENTIONAL RESOURCES.— 
(1) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall establish a program for production of fuels 
from strategic unconventional resources, and produc-
tion of oil and gas resources using CO2 enhanced re-
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covery. The program shall focus initially on activities 
and domestic resources most likely to result in sig-
nificant production in the near future, and shall in-
clude work necessary to improve extraction tech-
niques, including surface and in situ operations. The 
program shall include characterization and assess-
ment of potential resources, a sampling program, 
appropriate laboratory and other analyses and test-
ing, and assessment of methods for exploration and 
development of these strategic unconventional re-
sources. 
(2) PILOT PROJECTS.—The program created in 
paragraph (1) shall include, but not be limited to, 
pilot projects on (A) the Maverick Basin heavy oil 
and tar sands formations of Texas, including the 
San Miguel deposits, (B) the Greater Green River 
Basin heavy oil, oil shale, tar sands, and coal depos-
its of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, (C) the shale, 
tar sands, heavy oil, and coal deposits in the Ala-
bama-Mississippi-Tennessee region, (D) the shale, 
tar sands, heavy oil, and coal deposits in the Ohio 
River valley, and (E) strategic unconventional re-
sources in California. The Secretary shall identify 
and report to Congress on feasible incentives to fos-
ter recovery of unconventional fuels by private indus-
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