SEC. 145. STANDARD OF REVIEW. 
In any judicial review of a covered civil action, ad-
ministrative findings and conclusions relating to the chal-
lenged Federal action or decision shall be presumed to be 
correct, and the presumption may be rebutted only by the 
preponderance of the evidence contained in the administra-
tive record. 
SEC. 146. LIMITATION ON INJUNCTION AND PROSPECTIVE 
RELIEF. 
In a covered civil action, the court shall not grant or 
approve any prospective relief unless the court finds that 
such relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than nec-
essary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, and 
is the least intrusive means necessary to correct that viola-
tion. In addition, courts shall limit the duration of prelimi-
nary injunctions to halt covered energy projects to no more 
than 60 days, unless the court finds clear reasons to extend 
the injunction. In such cases of extensions, such extensions 
shall only be in 30-day increments and shall require action 
by the court to renew the injunction. 
SEC. 147. LIMITATION ON ATTORNEYS’ FEES. 
Sections 504 of title 5, United States Code, and 2412 
of title 28, United States Code, (together commonly called 
the Equal Access to Justice Act) do not apply to a covered 
civil action, nor shall any party in such a covered civil 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:05 Nov 12, 2013
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1965.RH
H1965
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
action receive payment from the Federal Government for 
their attorneys’ fees, expenses, and other court costs. 
SEC. 148. LEGAL STANDING. 
Challengers filing appeals with the Department of the 
Interior Board of Land Appeals shall meet the same stand-
ing requirements as challengers before a United States dis-
trict court. 
Subtitle E—Knowing America’s Oil 
and Gas Resources 
SEC. 151. FUNDING OIL AND GAS RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior shall 
provide matching funding for joint projects with States to 
conduct oil and gas resource assessments on Federal lands 
with significant oil and gas potential. 
(b) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the cost of 
activities under this section shall not exceed 50 percent. 
(c) RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.—Any resource assess-
ment under this section shall be conducted by a State, in 
consultation with the United States Geological Survey. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
this section a total of $50,000,000 for fiscal years 2014 
through 2017. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:05 Nov 12, 2013
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1965.RH
H1965
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
TITLE II—OIL AND GAS LEASING 
CERTAINTY 
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Leasing Cer-
tainty for American Energy Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 202. MINIMUM ACREAGE REQUIREMENT FOR ONSHORE 
LEASE SALES. 
In conducting lease sales as required by section 17(a) 
of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(a)), each year 
the Secretary of the Interior shall perform the following: 
(1) The Secretary shall offer for sale no less than 
25 percent of the annual nominated acreage not pre-
viously made available for lease. Acreage offered for 
lease pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject 
to protest and shall be eligible for categorical exclu-
sions under section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 15942), except that it shall not be 
subject to the test of extraordinary circumstances. 
(2) In administering this section, the Secretary 
shall only consider leasing of Federal lands that are 
available for leasing at the time the lease sale occurs. 
SEC. 203. LEASING CERTAINTY. 
Section 17(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(a)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘All lands’’, 
and by adding at the end the following: 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:05 Nov 12, 2013
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1965.RH
H1965
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall not withdraw any covered 
energy project issued under this Act without finding a vio-
lation of the terms of the lease by the lessee. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall not infringe upon lease rights 
under leases issued under this Act by indefinitely delaying 
issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, 
and rights of way for activities under such a lease. 
‘‘(C) No later than 18 months after an area is des-
ignated as open under the current land use plan the Sec-
retary shall make available nominated areas for lease under 
the criteria in section 2. 
‘‘(D) Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary 
shall issue all leases sold no later than 60 days after the 
last payment is made. 
‘‘(E) The Secretary shall not cancel or withdraw any 
lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and 
a winning bidder has submitted the last payment for the 
parcel. 
‘‘(F) Not later than 60 days after a lease sale held 
under this Act, the Secretary shall adjudicate any lease pro-
tests filed following a lease sale. If after 60 days any protest 
is left unsettled, said protest is automatically denied and 
appeal rights of the protestor begin. 
‘‘(G) No additional lease stipulations may be added 
after the parcel is sold without consultation and agreement 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:05 Nov 12, 2013
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1965.RH
H1965
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
of the lessee, unless the Secretary deems such stipulations 
as emergency actions to conserve the resources of the United 
States.’’. 
SEC. 204. LEASING CONSISTENCY. 
Federal land managers must follow existing resource 
management plans and continue to actively lease in areas 
designated as open when resource management plans are 
being amended or revised, until such time as a new record 
of decision is signed. 
SEC. 205. REDUCE REDUNDANT POLICIES. 
Bureau of Land Management Instruction Memo-
randum 2010–117 shall have no force or effect. 
SEC. 206. STREAMLINED CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION. 
Section 31(e) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
188(e)) is amended in the matter following paragraph (4) 
by striking ‘‘at least thirty days in advance of the reinstate-
ment’’ and inserting ‘‘in an annual report’’. 
TITLE III—OIL SHALE 
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Investment 
in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, En-
ergy, and Resource Security Act’’ or the ‘‘PIONEERS Act’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:05 Nov 12, 2013
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1965.RH
H1965
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS