Title: A bill to restart oil and gas leasing and permitting on Federal land, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
This bill requires the President to immediately resume issuing oil and gas leases on federal lands and offshore submerged lands in the Outer Continental Shelf as specified under the bill. In addition, the bill prohibits the President from delaying such leases, including delaying related permits, approvals, or authorizations.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3731 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3731

To restart oil and gas leasing and permitting on Federal land, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 2, 2022

  Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To restart oil and gas leasing and permitting on Federal land, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON MORATORIA OF NEW OIL AND GAS LEASES ON 
              CERTAIN FEDERAL LAND.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Federal land.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``Federal land'' means--
                            (i) National Forest System land;
                            (ii) public lands (as defined in section 
                        103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                        Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)); and
                            (iii) the outer Continental Shelf (as 
                        defined in section 2 of the Outer Continental 
                        Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331)).
                    (B) Inclusion.--The term ``Federal land'' includes 
                any interest in land described in clause (i), (ii), or 
                (iii) of subparagraph (A) that is owned by the United 
                States.
                    (C) Exclusion.--The term ``Federal land'' does not 
                include--
                            (i) a unit of the National Park System; or
                            (ii) a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 
                        System (other than a unit of the National 
                        Wildlife Refuge System for which oil and gas 
                        drilling is allowed under law).
            (2) President.--The term ``President'' means the President 
        or any designee.
    (b) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
President--
            (1) shall immediately and without delay hold Federal 
        onshore and offshore oil and gas lease sales; and
            (2) shall not carry out any action that would prohibit or 
        delay the issuance of oil or gas leases, permits, approvals, or 
        authorizations on Federal land, unless such an action has been 
        authorized by an Act of Congress.

SEC. 2. RESCISSION OF CERTAIN ENERGY POLICIES RELATING TO OIL AND 
              NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 208 of Executive Order 14008 (42 U.S.C. 4321 note; relating 
to tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad) is rescinded and 
shall have no force or effect.
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