I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 319
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 25, 2005
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, 2011; or
(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-
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 Conti-
nental Shelf Environmental Studies Program, and 
supported by the President’s Outer Continental 
Shelf Leasing and Development Task Force through 
Department 
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 par-
ticular study or studies they review.
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