I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4783 
To prohibit offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the State 
of Florida, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2006 
Mr. DAVIS of Florida (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. BOYD, and 
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To prohibit offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf 
off the State of Florida, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Permanent Protection 
for Florida Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION IN 
FLORIDA EXCLUSION ZONE. 
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is amended 
by inserting after section 8 (43 U.S.C. 1337) the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘SEC. 8A. PROHIBITION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION IN 
FLORIDA EXCLUSION ZONE. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) FLORIDA
EXCLUSION
ZONE.—The term 
‘Florida exclusion zone’ means the area located— 
‘‘(A) east of the red line (as depicted on 
the Minerals Management Service map entitled 
‘Florida Map 1’, dated January 23, 2006); 
‘‘(B) 25 miles west of the Military Mission 
Line (as depicted on the Minerals Management 
Service map entitled ‘Florida Map 1’, dated 
January 23, 2006); 
‘‘(C) 150 miles off the Florida Panhandle, 
including the area commonly known as the 
‘Stovepipe’ in the 181 Area in the Gulf of Mex-
ico; 
‘‘(D) the Straits of Florida planning area; 
and 
‘‘(E) 150 miles off the Florida east coast 
that extends from the Straits of the Florida 
planning area to the Florida-Georgia border. 
‘‘(2) MILITARY MISSION LINE.—The term ‘Mili-
tary Mission Line’ means— 
‘‘(A) the 86°41′ north-south line of lon-
gitude; or 
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‘‘(B) a line not more than 25 miles west 
of the line described in subparagraph (1), as 
determined by the Secretary of Defense during 
the 5-year period beginning on the date of en-
actment of this section. 
‘‘(3) NON-PRODUCING LEASE.—The term ‘non- 
producing lease’ means a lease for the production of 
oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Florida 
exclusion zone that is in existence and in good 
standing on the date of enactment of this section. 
‘‘(b) EXCLUSION ZONE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretary shall not issue a lease 
for the exploration, development, or production of 
oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Florida 
exclusion zone. 
‘‘(2) GREAT LAKES.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that States are encouraged not to issue a per-
mit or lease for new oil and natural gas slant, direc-
tional, or offshore drilling in or under any of the 
Great Lakes (as described in section 386 of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15941)). 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—This subsection applies 
to— 
‘‘(A) a non-producing lease; and 
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‘‘(B) a non-producing lease that would oth-
erwise be entered into on or after the date of 
enactment of this section. 
‘‘(c) WITHDRAWAL.—The Florida exclusion zone is 
withdrawn from— 
‘‘(1) any outer Continental Shelf protraction 
diagram prepared by the Minerals Management 
Service; and 
‘‘(2) consideration for inclusion in any 5-year 
outer Continental Shelf leasing program of the De-
partment of the Interior. 
‘‘(d) RELINQUISHMENT OF CERTAIN LEASES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2), 
(3), and (4), any non-producing or similar lease that 
is suspended on the date of enactment of this section 
in the Eastern planning area of the Gulf of Mexico 
(other than Lease Sale 181, as identified in the final 
outer Continental Shelf 5-Year Oil and Gas Leasing 
Program for 2002–2007) that is active, non-pro-
ducing, or in suspension as of the date of enactment 
of this section is relinquished and abandoned in ex-
change for royalty forgiveness for revenue streams 
owed by oil and gas lessees producing on that date 
in the Central and Western planning areas of the 
Gulf of Mexico. 
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‘‘(2) RESTORATION OF LEASED SEA FLOOR.—A 
lessee of a relinquished and abandoned lease shall— 
‘‘(A) 
remove 
all 
existing 
boreholes, 
wellheads, and ancillary equipment located on 
the leased sea floor; and 
‘‘(B) restore the sea floor as nearly as 
practicable to pre-lease condition. 
‘‘(3) INELIGIBLE LESSEE.—A lessee of a relin-
quished and abandoned lease is ineligible for royalty 
forgiveness if the lease involves— 
‘‘(A) an outer Continental Shelf tract in 
the Central or Western planning area of the 
Gulf of Mexico subject to royalty deferrals or 
royalty forgiveness pursuant to— 
‘‘(i) the notice of proposed rulemaking 
entitled ‘Relief or Reduction in Royalty 
Rates—Deep Gas Provisions’ (68 Fed. 
Reg. 14868); or 
‘‘(ii) any other Federal law (including 
regulations); 
‘‘(B) an outer Continental Shelf tract lo-
cated within the boundaries of the Flower Gar-
den Banks National Marine Sanctuary; or 
‘‘(C) any outer Continental Shelf tract lo-
cated outside the boundaries of the Florida ex-
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clusion zone and within the Eastern planning 
area of the Gulf of Mexico. 
‘‘(4) WAIVER OF RENTS AND ROYALTIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
allow an eligible lessee covered by paragraph 
(1) to withhold from payment any royalty or 
rent due to the United States under this Act. 
‘‘(B) JUDICIAL
REVIEW.—Any disagree-
ment between an eligible lessee and the Sec-
retary regarding the amount of royalty or rent 
forgiveness described in subparagraph (A) shall 
be subject to judicial review. 
‘‘(e) ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) OTHER SECTIONS OF ACT.—Beginning on 
the date of enactment of this section, other sections 
of this Act shall not apply to— 
‘‘(A) any area in which leasing is prohib-
ited under subsection (b); 
‘‘(B) any area that is withdrawn under 
subsection (c); or 
‘‘(C) any area subject to a lease that is re-
linquished under subsection (d). 
‘‘(2) INVENTORY.—The areas described in sub-
paragraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1), as 
well as the areas currently under moratorium in the 
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outer Continental Shelf and the areas protected by 
the document entitled ‘Memorandum on Withdrawal 
of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Conti-
nental Shelf from Leasing Disposition’ (34 Weekly 
Comp. Pres. Doc. 1111, dated June 12, 1998), shall 
not be subject to an inventory conducted under sec-
tion 357 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 15912). 
‘‘(3) NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY.—Nothing 
in this section precludes the Secretary of Commerce, 
acting through the Director of the National Marine 
Sanctuary Program, from considering any portion of 
the Florida exclusion zone for designation as a ma-
rine sanctuary under the Marine Protection, Re-
search, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 
1401 et seq.) (commonly known as the ‘Ocean 
Dumping Act’). 
‘‘(4) MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF EXISTING 
PIPELINES.—Nothing in this section precludes— 
‘‘(A) the inspection, monitoring, or repair 
of pre-existing subsea oil and natural gas pipe-
lines under Federal law (including regulations) 
pertaining to pipeline safety and environmental 
protection; or 
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‘‘(B) the replacement in situ of preexisting 
subsea oil or natural gas pipelines under that 
Federal law. 
‘‘(5) COMMERCIAL AND SPORT FISHING.—Noth-
ing in this section affects any regulation or manage-
ment of commercial or sport fishing, or routine oper-
ation or transit of fishing or recreational vessels, 
within the Florida exclusion zone. 
‘‘(6) MILITARY
ACTIVITIES.—Nothing in this 
section limits any military ship, submarine, aircraft, 
or amphibious vessel activity conducted as part of— 
‘‘(A) military exercises; 
‘‘(B) routine transit; 
‘‘(C) military preparedness; or 
‘‘(D) rescue operations. 
‘‘(f) CONDITIONS FOR LEASING IN OTHER AREAS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—With respect to Federal 
leasing on the outer Continental Shelf in the areas 
described in paragraph (2)— 
‘‘(A) each individual lease sale shall be 
subject to the review process under the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), including the completion 
of an environmental impact statement for the 
lease sale; and 
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‘‘(B) all pre-lease and leasing activities 
shall proceed only if best available and safest 
technologies, as described in 21(b), are required 
for all phases of operations. 
‘‘(2) DESCRIPTION OF AREAS.—The areas re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) are areas on the outer 
Continental Shelf that— 
‘‘(A) are not specifically covered by this 
Act; and 
‘‘(B)(i) are not located within the pro-
tected waters of the Florida Exclusion Zone; 
‘‘(ii) are not protected by the document en-
titled ‘Memorandum on Withdrawal of Certain 
Areas of the United States Outer Continental 
Shelf from Leasing Disposition’ (34 Weekly 
Comp. Pres. Doc. 1111, dated June 12, 1998); 
or 
‘‘(iii) are not located within any other fed-
erally protected area.’’ 
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF DEFERRAL. 
Notwithstanding the document entitled ‘‘Memo-
randum on Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United 
States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition 
(34 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 1111, dated June 12, 
1998)’’, the expiration date for the withdrawal of areas 
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of the outer Continental Shelf described in the first para-
graph of that Memorandum shall be extended until June 
30, 2020. 
Æ 
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