Title: More Energy More Jobs Act of 2021
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
More Energy More Jobs Act of 2021
This bill revises requirements concerning oil and gas lease sales under the Outer Continental Shelf leasing program.
Specifically, the bill directs the Department of the Interior to allow coastal states to nominate areas off their coasts for oil and gas development.
In addition, Interior must hold at least two region-wide oil and gas lease sales per year in the Gulf of Mexico. Each lease sale must include areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area and the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area. The bill also establishes deadlines for completing environmental reviews of the lease sales.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1325 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1325

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing 
program under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2021

Mr. Brady (for himself and Mr. Cuellar) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue an oil and gas leasing 
program under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``More Energy More Jobs Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO ISSUE NEW FIVE-YEAR OIL AND GAS LEASING PROGRAM.

    (a) Requirements for Development of New Leasing Programs.--Section 
18(c) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344(c)) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
        (5) and (6); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Development of program.--In preparing each leasing 
        program under this section, the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) allow the Governor of a coastal State to 
                nominate for leasing under such program areas of the 
                outer Continental Shelf that are adjacent to the waters 
                of that State;
                    ``(B) include each area nominated under 
                subparagraph (A) in the draft leasing program under 
                this section and consider leasing of such areas as an 
                alternative Federal action; and
                    ``(C) include in development of the program 
                resource estimates that are available, and develop 
                resource estimates for the areas for which such data 
                are not available including for the areas nominated 
                under subparagraph (A).
            ``(3) Inclusion of state-nominated areas.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall include in 
                the final program issued under this section each area 
                nominated by a State under paragraph (2) if the 
                Secretary determines that development in such area will 
                best meet national energy needs and is consistent with 
                the principles set forth in subsection (a).
                    ``(B) Report.--If the Secretary omits any area 
                nominated under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
                submit to the Governor that nominated the area and the 
                Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
                Representatives a report detailing why oil and gas 
                development in such area do not best meet national 
                energy needs and is not consistent with the principles 
                set forth in subsection (a).
                    ``(C) Alternative views.--After submittal of the 
                report required by subparagraph (B), each such Governor 
                shall be provided 60 days within which to offer 
                alternative views on why the Secretary's findings are 
                not consistent with the principles set forth in 
                subsection (a).
            ``(4) Notice of effectiveness of plan.--The Secretary shall 
        publish in the Federal Register a notice of the effectiveness 
        of each oil and gas leasing program issued under this section 
        on the date such program takes effect.''.

SEC. 3. ANNUAL LEASE SALES IN GULF OF MEXICO REGION.

    Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1344) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Annual Lease Sales in Gulf of Mexico Region.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Central gulf of mexico planning area.--The 
                term `Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area' has the 
                meaning given the term `Central Planning Area' in 
                section 102 of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act 
                of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109-432).
                    ``(B) Western gulf of mexico planning area.--The 
                term `Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area' means the 
                Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area of the outer 
                Continental Shelf, as designated in the document 
                entitled `Draft Proposed Program Outer Continental 
                Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007-2012' and dated 
                February 2006.
            ``(2) Annual lease sales.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, beginning in fiscal year 2022, the Secretary 
        shall hold a minimum of 2 region-wide lease sales annually in 
        the Gulf of Mexico pursuant to this Act, each of which shall 
        include areas in--
                    ``(A) the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area; and
                    ``(B) the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.
            ``(3) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out the lease sales 
                under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall issue leases 
                to the highest responsible qualified bidder or bidders.
                    ``(B) Areas included in lease sales.--In carrying 
                out the lease sales under paragraph (2), the Secretary 
                shall include in each lease sale all unleased areas 
                that are not subject to restrictions as of the date of 
                the lease sale.
            ``(4) Environmental review.--
                    ``(A) In general.--With respect to each lease sale 
                required under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
                conduct any environmental reviews required by the 
                National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
                4321 et seq.).
                    ``(B) Deadline.--
                            ``(i) Individual review.--If the Secretary 
                        conducts environmental reviews with respect to 
                        a lease sale under subparagraph (A) for each 
                        individual lease included in the lease sale, 
                        the Secretary shall complete all environmental 
                        reviews for the lease sale, including by 
                        issuing a finding of no significant impact or a 
                        record of decision, if applicable, in less than 
                        365 calendar days.
                            ``(ii) Programmatic review.--If the 
                        Secretary conducts a programmatic environmental 
                        review with respect to a lease sale under 
                        subparagraph (A) for all leases under the lease 
                        sale, the Secretary shall complete the 
                        programmatic environmental review, including by 
                        issuing a finding of no significant impact or a 
                        record of decision, if applicable, in less than 
                        180 calendar days.
    ``(j) Permitting.--
            ``(1) In general.--Pursuant to sovereign contracting rights 
        and obligations, the Secretary shall review and grant or deny 
        in accordance with paragraph (2) any application for a permit 
        or other approval for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, 
        development, and production activities under a lease issued 
        pursuant to this Act by not later than the earlier of--
                    ``(A) 75 calendar days after the date on which the 
                application is received by the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
                Management or the Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
                Enforcement; or
                    ``(B) any other applicable deadline required by 
                law.
            ``(2) Approval or denial.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Absent clear grounds for denial 
                of an application for a permit or other approval 
                described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall grant 
                the permit or approval.
                    ``(B) Requirement.--If the Secretary denies an 
                application for a permit or other approval under 
                subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall provide to the 
                applicant written notice explaining the grounds for the 
                denial.''.
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