I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1795 
To provide for the establishment of an Offsets Integrity Advisory Board, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 30, 2009 
Mr. MATHESON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of an Offsets Integrity 
Advisory Board, 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. OFFSETS INTEGRITY ADVISORY BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
establish an independent Offsets Integrity Advisory 
Board. The Advisory Board shall make recommendations 
to the Administrator for use in promulgating and revising 
regulations on offsets, and for ensuring the overall envi-
ronmental integrity of the offset program. 
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(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Advisory Board shall be 
comprised of nine members with relevant expertise. At 
least six members of the Advisory Board shall be sci-
entists, and at least one member shall be a member of 
the National Academy of Sciences. The Administrator 
shall appoint a chair and vice-chair of the Advisory Board, 
and membership terms shall be 5 years for all Advisory 
Board members. 
(c) ACTIVITIES.—The Advisory Board established 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall— 
(1) provide recommendations, not later than 90 
days after the Advisory Board’s establishment and 
periodically thereafter, to the Administrator regard-
ing offset project types that should be considered for 
eligibility, taking into consideration relevant sci-
entific and other issues, including— 
(A) the potential for accurate quantifica-
tion of greenhouse gas reduction, avoidance, or 
sequestration for an offset project type; 
(B) the potential level of scientific and 
measurement uncertainty associated with an 
offset project type; and 
(C) any beneficial or adverse environ-
mental, public health, welfare, social, economic, 
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or energy effects associated with an offset 
project type; 
(2) provide recommendations to the Adminis-
trator regarding offset methodologies that should be 
considered under the offsets regulations, including 
methodologies to address the issues of additionality, 
activity baselines, performance, leakage, uncertainty, 
and permanence; 
(3) advise the Administrator, and other relevant 
Federal agencies, regarding scientific, technical, and 
methodological issues specific to the issuance of 
international offset credits; 
(4) advise the Administrator of areas in which 
further knowledge is required to appraise the ade-
quacy of existing, revised, or proposed methodologies 
for offsets, and describe the research efforts nec-
essary to provide the required information; and 
(5) advise the Administrator on other ways to 
improve or safeguard the environmental integrity of 
the offsets program. 
(d) SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF OFFSET PROGRAMS.— 
Not later than January 1, 2017, and at five-year intervals 
thereafter, the Advisory Board shall submit to the Admin-
istrator and make available to the public an analysis of 
relevant scientific and technical information related to the 
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offsets program. The Advisory Board shall review ap-
proved and potential offset methodologies, scientific stud-
ies, offset project monitoring, offset project verification re-
ports, and audits, and evaluate the net emissions effects 
of implemented offset projects. The Advisory Board shall 
recommend changes to offset methodologies, protocols, or 
project types, or to the overall offset program, in order 
to ensure that offset credits issued by the Administrator 
do not compromise the integrity of the emissions cap, and 
to avoid or minimize any adverse effects to human health 
or the environment. 
SEC. 2. PROGRAM REVIEW AND REVISION. 
At least once every 5 years, the Administrator shall 
review and, based on new information and taking into con-
sideration the recommendations of the Advisory Board, re-
vise— 
(1) the methodologies established; 
(2) the reversal policies and mechanisms estab-
lished; 
(3) measures to improve the accountability of 
the offsets program; and 
(4) any other requirements established to en-
sure the environmental integrity and effective oper-
ation of the offsets program. 
Æ 
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