jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-06-29 00:00:00

Consumer Fuels Choice Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to make grants to major fuel distributors to pay the federal share of costs to install blender pump fuel infrastructure at majority-owned stations and branded stations: (1) for the direct retail sale of ethanol fuel blends (including E-85 fuel), including blender pumps and storage tanks; and (2) to directly market such fuels to gas retailers, including in-line blending equipment, pumps, storage tanks, and loadout equipment. Provides for infrastructure installation subgrants to direct retailers of ethanol fuel blends (including E-85 fuel) as well as blender pumps and storage tanks.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-06-29 00:00:00

Offshore Drilling Safety Improvement Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations requiring: (1) that all oil and gas drilling and production operations on the outer Continental Shelf have safety and environmental management systems in place, including blowout preventers and additional backup emergency shutoff equipment such as acoustic shut-off technology; and (2) that such equipment use the best available and safest technologies. Requires consideration of the need for different technology requirements in different environments and depths. Applies such regulations to: (1) all new oil and gas drilling and production operations, and (2) all existing drilling and production operations six months after the issuance of the regulations. Requires the Secretary, every five years thereafter, to review blowout preventer and emergency shutoff equipment technology and revise the regulations as necessary to require use of the best available technology. Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to require the Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretaries to identify the best available and safest technology for offshore oil and gas exploration and production.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2010-06-30 00:00:00

End Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require seven-year amortization of the geological and geophysical expenditures of covered large oil companies. Defines "covered large oil company" as a taxpayer which is a major integrated oil company or which has gross receipts in excess of $50 million in a taxable year. Denies certain tax benefits to any taxpayer that is not a small, independent oil and gas company, including: (1) the tax credits for producing oil and gas from marginal wells and for enhanced oil recovery; (2) expensing of intangible drilling and development costs in the case of gas wells and geothermal wells; (3) percentage depletion; (4) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses; (5) the exemption from limitations on passive activity losses; and (6) the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities. Prohibits the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method by major integrated oil companies. Denies the election to expense the cost of refinery property which is used to process liquid fuel from tar sands, shale, or coal (including lignite).
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-06-30 00:00:00

Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to revise the policy concerning resource development on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to: (1) include emphasis of the importance of protection, maintenance, and restoration of the marine and coastal environments; and (2) state that leasing, exploration, or development will be authorized in limited areas only when sound science shows that such activities can proceed with minimal risk to the health of such environments. Authorizes the leasing, exploration, and development of oil and gas resources of the OCS only if the Secretary of the Interior: (1) has a thorough understanding of the marine coastal environments affected by the activity and an environmental baseline, the risks of exploration or development, and the potential consequences of emergencies; and (2) determines, on the basis of sound science, that risks are minimal, rigorous safety measures are in place and will be enforced, and there is a demonstrated ability to mount an effective response to accidents in real-world conditions. Prohibits inclusion in an oil and gas leasing program under the Act any area of the OCS that, by itself or in a network, has distinguishing ecological characteristics, is important for maintaining habitat heterogeneity or the viability of a species, or contributes disproportionately to the health of an ecosystem.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-07-01 00:00:00

Oil Pollution Taxpayer and Environment Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to declare that any royalty under an oil and gas lease on submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf shall apply to all oil that is removed under the lease and discharged into waters of the United States or ocean waters. Increases the minimum royalty under such leases from 12.5% to 20%. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) ensure that royalty and other payments required for each lease provide a fair return to the United States; (2) publish in the Federal Register for each lease an explanation of how the payments were derived; (3) consider average rates for those payments that are required by other countries; and (4) require the use of an electronic flow monitoring system on each well drilled under a lease under the Act that provides an accurate accounting of oil and gas removed under the lease. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude).
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-07-01 00:00:00

Emergency Relief Well Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, with respect to geological and geophysical explorations as well as oil and gas development and production, to require an exploration plan submitted for approval to include a plan for drilling at least one emergency relief well concurrently with the drilling of the proposed well. Requires any exploratory drilling in submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf conducted under a lease (including drilling for oil and gas development and production) to be accompanied by the concurrent drilling of at least one emergency relief well, subject to any applicable requirements established by the Secretary of the Interior. Authorizes the Secretary to require, as an alternative to such emergency relief well requirement, measures that would be at least as effective at stopping a major release from a proposed well.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2010-07-15 00:00:00

Protecting Rural Landscapes Act of 2010 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act, with respect to the lease of oil and gas lands, to require a person with the legal right to conduct oil and gas operations on covered land (operator) to compensate the surface owner for damages resulting from: (1) loss of agricultural production and income; (2) lost land value; (3) lost use of and lost access to the land; and (4) the lost value of improvements. Requires the operator to reclaim the affected surface. Requires the operator to give notice prior to: (1) initial entry for activities that do not disturb the surface; and (2) commencing oil and gas operations. Requires the operator, at the time of providing notice of commencement of oil and gas operations, to provide the surface owner with a proposed surface use agreement that includes an offer of compensation for damages to the surface affected by oil and gas operations. Requires an operator to provide the surface owner with appropriate financial assurance of reclamation in lieu of executing a surface use agreement. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to provide notice of upcoming lease sales and drilling permits to each: (1) surface owner of affected covered land; and (2) permittee or right-of-way holder with the right to use the surface of affected federal land.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-07-19 00:00:00

Declares that a specified suspension of (moratorium on) certain offshore permitting and drilling activities on the Outer Continental Shelf shall not apply to a drill permit applicant that has complied with specified National Notices and has completed all required safety inspections. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to make a determination on whether to issue a permit within 30 days after determining that the applicant is in compliance with such Notices and has completed such inspections.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2010-07-22 00:00:00

Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the operator of a drilling and production operation under a lease to submit annually to the Secretary of the Interior a specified certification by the operator's chief executive officer that the operator is in compliance with all pertinent laws and operating regulations. Subjects the chief executive officer to a civil penalty for non-compliance with this requirement.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2010-07-26 00:00:00

Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010 - (Sec. 2) Prohibits an employer from discharging, discriminating, against, or engaging in retaliatory actions against specified employees who: (1) report to a government official any violation or unsafe condition under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act; (2) testify or participate in a proceeding concerning such violation; (3) reported an illness, injury, or unsafe condition related to the employer's activities to the employer or a state or federal government official; (4) refused to perform duties, or exercised stop work authority, based upon a good faith belief that performing such duties could result in injury to or impairment of the health of the covered employee or other employees, or cause an oil spill to the environment; or (5) objected to, or refused to participate in any activity, policy, practice, or assigned task that the employee reasonably believed to be in violation of such Act. Sets forth complaint filing procedures with the Secretary of Labor regarding such retaliation. Requires the Secretary to investigate and determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe that the complaint has merit and notify in writing the complainant and the employer regarding the Secretary's findings. Authorizes a civil action to require compliance with this Act. Requires employers to: (1) post a notice approved by the Secretary of Labor explaining employee rights and remedies under this Act in a conspicuous location in the place of employment where employees frequent; (2) provide training to employees about their rights under this Act within 30 days of employment, and at least once annually; and (3) provide employees with a card containing a toll free telephone number at the Department of Labor to get information or file a complaint. Directs the Secretary of Labor, within 30 days after enactment of this Act, to designate agency officials to receive, investigate, and adjudicate complaints concerning violations under this Act.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2010-07-26 00:00:00

Oil Pollution Wildlife Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to publish in the Federal Register and make electronically available to the public the Secretary's decision to approve, deny, or modify any geological and geophysical exploration, development, or production plans. Repeals the exemption of the Gulf of Mexico from oil and gas development and production requirements for the outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Prohibits the Secretary from approving any geological and geophysical exploration, development, or production plan, or any significant plan revision, or from granting any license or permit unless the Secretary certifies that: (1) such plan is in compliance with specified statutes, regulations, and legal authorities; and (2) all requisite authorizations have been issued for activities to be conducted under the plan. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Secretaries of Commerce or of the Interior regarding any endangered species or fisheries that occur in the proposed area of activity. Requires the Secretaries of Commerce or of the Interior to incorporate in environmental studies of areas or regions included in an oil and gas lease sale or other lease any takings of marine mammal species or stock from any other reasonably foreseeable activities when determining whether takings from specified OCSLA activities will have a negligible impact on a marine mammal species or stock, and not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of such species or stock for taking for subsistence uses. Permits citizen suits against the United States and any other subject instrumentality or agency that is alleged to have approved a leasing program, lease sale, exploration plan or permit, or development and production plan, without having prepared an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment, or without having complied with other related requirements. Authorizes a person to commence a civil action on the person's own behalf to enjoin any person alleged to have failed to obtain proper authorization pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2010-07-27 00:00:00

Safe Drill Act of 2010 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to precondition a new oil or gas lease upon the lessee's certification that the lessee will: (1) use the best available technology for all operations under the lease, including acoustic sensors; and (2) adopt and implement a comprehensive plan to respond to and clean up any discharge of oil occurring in lease operations. Directs the Secretary to require each person holding an existing oil or gas lease to make such a certification within six months after enactment of this Act. Empowers the Secretary to order suspension of operations and cancel the lease if such a certification is not forthcoming within the deadline. Requires the Secretary to: (1) review blowout preventers, emergency shutoff systems, and other oil discharge prevention technology (including emerging technology) used for oil and gas drilling operations; and (2) revise as necessary regulations governing the use of such technology based upon such review.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2010-07-29 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% energy tax credit for investment in certain biomass heating property for periods ending before January 1, 2014; and (2) repeal the exemption from passive activity rules for working interests in oil or gas property.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-07-29 00:00:00

Strengthening Our Share (S.O.S.) Act - Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to revise and increase the allocations (planned sharing) with Gulf states of certain qualified outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues due and payable to the United States from specified Gulf of Mexico leases. Repeals the limitation placed upon the amount of distributed qualified OCS revenues.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2010-07-30 00:00:00

Closing Oil Spill Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny a tax deduction for payment of any claim for damages under the Oil Spill Pollution Act of 1990 with respect to any discharge of oil.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2010-07-30 00:00:00

Audit the BP Fund Act of 2010 - Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) conduct an ongoing independent investigation and audit of the fund and claims process created by BP to compensate persons affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico beginning on April 20, 2010, to determine the effectiveness of fund operations, including the timeliness of claim payments and the accuracy of determining amounts of damages compensated; and (2) report to Congress on the effectiveness of the operations until they are completed. Authorizes the Comptroller General to use any investigative powers, including subpoena power, in conducting such investigation and audit. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) BP should fully cooperate with the Comptroller General to assure that the fund is accurately, expediently, and efficiently compensating victims for their losses; and (2) the costs incurred by the Comptroller General to carry out responsibilities under this Act should be reimbursed by BP.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2010-07-30 00:00:00

Denial of Certain Tax Benefits to Offending Oil Polluters Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny all income tax credits and deductions to an offending oil polluter. Defines "offending oil polluter" to mean any person responsible for a vessel or a facility from which oil is discharged, unless such person: (1) has met all obligations under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to provide compensation for covered removal costs and damages; (2) was not found during the seven-year period after the first oil discharge to have committed willful or repeated violations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; (3) was not convicted of a criminal violation for death or serious bodily injury; (4) did not have more than 10 fatalities at its facilities or refineries resulting from violations of federal or state health, safety, or environmental laws; and (5) was not required to pay fines of more than $10 million for violations of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or the Clean Air Act.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2010-07-30 00:00:00

Gulf Security and Iran Sanctions Enforcement Act - Declares the sense of Congress about sanctions for the government of Iran's illicit nuclear activities and support for international terrorism. Urges that foreign companies be prohibited from receiving Iranian capital, technology, and expertise, and that foreign energy-related companies, especially, be blocked from entering into joint ventures, investments, and partnerships for energy and energy-related projects outside of Iran. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to include in each lease issued after enactment of this Act that authorizes oil and gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf a provision that requires: (1) the lessee to certify annually to the Secretary that it does not engage in any activity for which sanctions may be imposed under the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996; and (2) the Secretary to cancel the lease if the lessee fails to make such a certification or makes a false one. Requires such a lease also to require the lessee to disclose to the Secretary any participation in any energy-related joint venture, investment, or partnership located outside Iran that involves: (1) any person whose property and property interests are blocked pursuant to Executive Orders 13224 (for transacting business with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism) or 13382 (because they are weapons of mass destruction proliferators or their supporters); or (2) any entity on a specified list relating to Iranian Transactions Regulations. Requires cancellation of any lease whose lessee has failed to make such a disclosure or makes a false disclosure. Allows a national interest waiver of these requirements.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2010-07-30 00:00:00

Deficit Reduction Through Fair Oil Royalties Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from issuing new oil or natural gas production leases in the Gulf of Mexico under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to a person that does not renegotiate its existing leases in order to require royalty payments if oil and natural gas prices are greater than or equal to specified price thresholds. Authorizes the Secretary, in the case of multiple lessees, to implement a separate agreement modifying payment responsibilities (including such price thresholds) with any lessee that owns a lease share. Prescribes analogous requirements for lease transfers. Requires rentals or royalties received by the United States to be deposited in the Treasury for federal budget deficit reduction or, if there is no federal budget deficit, for reducing the federal debt. Directs the Secretary to agree to a lessee's request to amend any lease issued for any Central and Western Gulf of Mexico tract in the period of January 1, 1996, through November 28, 2000, to incorporate price thresholds applicable to royalty suspension requirements that are equal to or less than the price thresholds specified under OCSLA.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2010-09-14 00:00:00

Local Control for Energy and Environment Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal federal regulatory oversight over: (1) companies engaged in the importation or exportation of natural gas in foreign commerce; and (2) the persons engaged in such importation or exportation. Repeals: (1) the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny applications for the siting, construction, expansion, or operations of liquid natural gas (LNG) terminals; (2) the requirement that FERC enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Defense (DOD) ensuring FERC coordination with DOD regarding the siting, construction, expansion or operation of LNG facilities that may affect an active military installation; and (3) the oversight functions of both FERC and the states concerning state and local safety considerations over LNG terminal construction. Requires any agency agreements, collaborations, or activities entered into by FERC concerning the environmental impact, public safety, or security of an LNG facility to: (1) include input by and consultation with the state in which such facility is located; and (2) make available to the public in print and on an Internet website reports and documents generated from such agreements, collaborations, and activities.