zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Oil Spill Responsibility Act of 2010 - Finds that BP p.l.c. (BP) confessed under oath before Congress to being the responsible party for the discharge of oil in the Gulf of Mexico resulting from the explosion on and sinking of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon. Requires BP immediately to pay the United States $25 billion as partial compensation for removal costs and damages for which BP is liable. States that a specified limitation on damages under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 shall not apply with respect to the explosion on and sinking of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon. Prohibits the construction of this Act as limiting the liability of BP for such amount. Requires amounts paid by BP under this Act to be deposited into a separate account in the Treasury and made available to the Secretary of the Interior to reimburse any person for removal costs and damages incurred as a result of the explosion on and sinking of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon.

Date: 2010-06-14
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2010 - Establishes in the Department of the Interior the Minerals Management Service with the following components: (1) an Office of Leasing and Permitting, which shall perform functions relating to the leasing of areas of the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and the issuance of activity permits under such leases that were vested in the Minerals Management Service (MMS) (or its Director) on May 19, 2010; (2) an Office of Inspection, which shall perform functions relating to vessel and facility inspection that were vested in the MMS (or its Director) on that date; and (3) an Office of Revenue, which shall perform functions relating to the collection of OCS lease revenue that were vested in the MMS (or its Director) on such date. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations that require each MMS employee to be subject to random testing for the use of a controlled substance at least twice a year. Prohibits, during the two-year period beginning on an individual's departure from MMS employment, the employment of such individual by any person conducting any activity under a lease or permit issued by MMS or subject to MMS regulation. Directs the Secretary, acting through MMS, to inspect monthly each vessel and facility used for OCS oil or gas drilling. Prohibits the Secretary from exempting any category of vessel or facility activity in OCS oil or gas drilling in waters deeper than 1,000 feet from any applicable federal requirement or restriction. Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to repeal the liability limits applicable to a responsible party for discharge of oil from an offshore facility.

Date: 2010-06-22
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Stop Oil Spills Act or the SOS Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to revise provisions concerning ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resources. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish: (1) a program of awards to support the development, demonstration, and commercialization of innovative technologies to prevent, stop, or capture large-scale accidental discharges of oil or other hydrocarbons from offshore oil and gas drilling operations, including deepwater and ultra-deepwater operations; and (2) an independent SOS Fund Technical Advisory Committee to advise on the development and implementation of programs under this Act. Requires the awards to focus on new technologies or innovative improvements to existing technologies, including: (1) blowout preventers; (2) secondary control systems; (3) remotely operated vehicles; and (4) prefabricated systems or technologies to stop or capture a large-scale discharge from an offshore well, at or near the source of such discharge, in the event of failure of a blowout preventer. Establishes in the Treasury a Safety and Offshore Spill (SOS) Fund into which shall be transferred, for each of FY2011-FY2017, $50 million from amounts of federal royalties, rents, and bonuses derived from federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leases issued under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act that are deposited in the Treasury.

Date: 2010-06-25
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act - Requires all vessels engaged in drilling for oil or gas in ocean waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or in the support of such drilling, to be documented with a registry endorsement (current law refers only to mobile offshore drilling units).

Date: 2010-06-28
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Transportation and public works
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.

Date: 2010-06-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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.

Date: 2010-06-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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).

Date: 2010-06-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Taxation
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.

Date: 2010-06-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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).

Date: 2010-07-01
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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.

Date: 2010-07-01
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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.

Date: 2010-07-15
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
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.

Date: 2010-07-19
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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.

Date: 2010-07-22
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
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.

Date: 2010-07-26
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Labor and employment
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.

Date: 2010-07-26
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
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.

Date: 2010-07-27
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
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.

Date: 2010-07-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Taxation
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.

Date: 2010-07-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
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.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Taxation
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.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Government operations and politics
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.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Taxation
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.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: International affairs
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.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
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.

Date: 2010-09-14
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Pipeline Safety and Community Empowerment Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prescribe minimum standards to require: (1) a pipeline facility owner or operator to notify all property owners and residents located within 2,000 feet of a pipeline transmission line of the property's proximity to the line, including its specific location if located on private residential property; and (2) the notice to include a method for electronic access to such information through the Internet and a toll free telephone number, as well as information on how to obtain a map of the pipeline system through the National Pipeline Mapping System. Revises requirements for minimum standards for information a pipeline operator must maintain about a pipeline facility. Directs the Secretary to prescribe such standards requiring an operator to provide that information (including updates and changes), not only to the Secretary (as under current law), but also to state regulatory officials, state and local emergency responders, and other appropriate entities. Revises requirements for additional standards for periodic inspection of pipeline facilities in high-density population areas and environmentally sensitive areas. Directs the Secretary to prescribe standards requiring the mandatory periodic inspection of each pipeline facility with an instrumented internal inspection device ("smart pig") occur at least once every five years. Allows the use of an inspection method, subject to certain requirements, that is not a "smart pig" for any pipeline segment incompatible with a "smart pig." Requires the Secretary to prohibit a pipeline segment from operating under high pressure if that segment cannot be inspected: (1) with a "smart pig"; or (2) using an inspection method at least as effective as one. Directs the Secretary to prescribe minimum standards to require a pipeline facility owner or operator to install automatic or remote shut off valves to reduce risks in the event of a rupture. Requires a pipeline facility owner or operator to ensure that the pipeline facility is equipped with a leak detection system capable of promptly detecting a leak. Directs the Secretary to approve or disapprove modified public education programs submitted by pipeline facility owners or operators. Requires the Comptroller General to assess and report to Congress on the effectiveness of such programs.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Used Oil Re-Refining Tax Credit Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 30% of the investment in a project to process qualifying re-refined lubricating oil from used oil. Defines "qualifying re-refined lubricating oil" as a base oil which meets the American Society of Testing and Materials standard for hydrocarbon lubricating base oil (ASTM D6074) and which is manufactured from used lubricating oil. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to establish a qualifying used oil re-refining project program for the deployment of used oil re-refining technologies.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Taxation
San Bruno Victims Compensation Fairness Act of 2010 - Excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes: (1) any compensation provided by Pacific Gas and Electric Company to victims of the natural gas transmission line explosion on September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, California; and (2) any gain from the compulsory or involuntary conversion of property destroyed by the San Bruno natural gas transmission line explosion.

Date: 2010-11-18
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Taxation
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize and extend funding for a grant program for reducing diesel emissions. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) provide contracts and rebates to eligible entities to achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions; and (2) support rebate programs administered by states that are designed to achieve such reductions. Includes among entities eligible to receive funding for reducing diesel emissions any private individual or entity that is the owner of a diesel vehicle or fleet operated pursuant to a contract, license, or lease with a federal, regional, state, local, or tribal agency or port authority with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality and that meets such requirements as the Administrator may establish for vehicle use and for notice to and approval by the agency with respect to a contract, license, or lease. Includes Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands within the meaning of "state" under such Act. Revises provisions concerning the distribution and use of, and applications for, funds.

Date: 2010-12-02
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Environmental protection
Authorizes the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for the vessels LNG GEMINI, LNG LEO, and LNG VIRGO. Limits authorized coastwise trade for each vessel to the carriage of natural gas, as defined in the Deepwater Port Act of 1974. Prohibits a vessel transported in Dry Dock #2 (if, during such transportation, such dock remains connected by a utility or other connecting line to pierside moorage in Ketchikan, Alaska) from being considered merchandise for the purposes of certain coastwise trade requirements a vessel must otherwise meet before engaging in merchandise transportation.

Date: 2010-12-15
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Private legislation
Hospital Energy Conservation Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish a pilot program to award grants and loan guarantees to no more than six hospitals during FY2011-FY2012 to carry out energy conservation projects for: (1) significantly improving energy efficiency; and (2) encouraging on-site power generation and energy storage, capable of operating independent of the grid, and providing sufficient on-site emergency backup power for essential hospital functions.

Date: 2010-12-17
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Oil Spill Victims Redress Act - Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to: (1) require all claims against each responsible party for removal costs or damages under such Act to be presented first to the responsible party or guarantor of the source of the discharge or threat; (2) authorize a state court to award damages or other relief to any person for claims under state law against any responsible party or other person; (3) provide that a civil action brought in state court is not within the original jurisdiction of the U.S. district courts, and is therefore not removable, unless a federal claim is pleaded in addition to claims arising under state law or otherwise removable based on diversity of citizenship; and (4) provide that nothing in such Act shall affect or preempt the authority of any state from imposing on any responsible party or other person any additional liability or requirement with respect to the discharge of oil or other pollution by oil within such state or any removal activities in connection with such discharge.

Date: 2010-12-21
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Environmental protection
Cleaner, Greener, and Smarter Act of 2009 - Calls for the enactment of legislation to improve the economy and the security of the United States by reducing U.S. dependence on foreign and unsustainable energy sources and the risks of global warming by: (1) making and encouraging significant investments in green job creation and clean energy across the economy; (2) diversifying and rapidly expanding the use of secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly energy supplies and technologies; (3) transforming U.S. infrastructure to make the infrastructure sustainable and the United States more competitive globally, including transmission grid modernization and transportation sector electrification; (4) requiring reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the United States and achieving reductions in emissions of GHGs abroad; (5) protecting consumers from volatile energy prices through better market oversight and enhanced energy efficiency standards and incentives; and (6) eliminating wasteful and unnecessary tax breaks and giveaways that fail to move the United States toward a more competitive and cleaner energy future.

Date: 2009-01-06
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Oil Sands Energy Security Act of 2010 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the prohibition against any federal agency contract for procurement of an alternative or synthetic fuel, including a fuel produced from nonconventional petroleum sources (such as oil sands), for any mobility-related use (other than for research or testing) unless the contract specifies that the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and combustion of the fuel supplied under the contract must, on an ongoing basis, be less than or equal to greenhouse gas emissions from the equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources. Makers a conforming amendment to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 to repeal the exception to such prohibition National Air and Space Administration (NASA) contracts to purchase a generally available fuel that is not an alternative or synthetic fuel or predominantly produced from a nonconventional petroleum source, if certain conditions are met.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Green Energy Production Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of Energy (DOE) the Green Technology Investment Corporation to allocate funds, provide grants, and carry out programs for all phases of technology commercialization. Requires the Corporation to establish: (1) ) a green redevelopment, opportunity, and workforce (GROW) grant program (2) a green energy technology internship program; and (3) a green energy technology apprenticeship program. Establishes in the Treasury the Green Technology Investment Fund to provide grants, loans, and assistance under this Act. Sets forth criteria for project eligibility and priority and applicant eligibility for grants, loans, and assistance under this Act.

Date: 2009-01-06
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2009 or NOPEC - Amends the Sherman Act to declare it to be illegal and a violation of the Act for any foreign state or instrumentality thereof to act collectively or in combination with any other foreign state or any other person, whether by cartel or any other association or form of cooperation or joint action, to limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product (petroleum), to set or maintain the price of petroleum, or to otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for petroleum, when such action has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on the market, supply, price, or distribution of petroleum in the United States. Denies a foreign state engaged in such conduct sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction or judgements of U.S. courts in any action brought to enforce this Act.States that no U.S. court shall decline, based on the act of state doctrine, to make a determination on the merits in an action brought under this Act.Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action in U.S. district court to enforce this Act.Amends the federal judicial code to make an exception to the jurisdictional immunity of a foreign state in an action brought under this Act.

Date: 2009-01-12
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Commerce
Withdraw Energy Addicting New Subsidies Act of 2009 or the WEANS Act of 2009 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal the research and development program for ultra-deepwater and unconventional onshore natural gas and other petroleum assets.

Date: 2009-02-26
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
No Surface Occupancy Western Arctic Coastal Plain Domestic Energy Security Act - Authorizes exploration, leasing, development, and production of oil and gas from the Western Coastal Plain. Defines the Western Coastal Plain as the area of Coastal Plain: (1) that borders the land of Alaska to the west and Alaska offshore waters of the Beaufort Sea on the north; and (2) from which the Secretary of the Interior finds oil and gas can be produced through horizontal drilling or other subsurface technology from sites outside or underneath the Coastal Plain surface. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Western Coastal Plain. Considers such program to be compatible with the purposes for which the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was established. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish lease sale procedures; and (2) offer for lease those tracts the Secretary considers to have the greatest potential for the discovery of hydrocarbons. Authorizes the Secretary to grant a lease for land on the Western Coastal Plain to the highest responsible qualified bidder. Prescribes lease terms and conditions. Provides for expedited judicial review.Directs the Secretary to establish in the Treasury the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to offset any planning, land use-related, or service-related impacts of offshore development caused by this Act. Prescribes a scheme for the allocation of revenues produced by bonus, rental, and royalty revenues from the federal oil and gas leasing and operations authorized under this Act, requiring 50% to be paid semiannually to the state of Alaska, and the remainder to designated federal entities.

Date: 2009-02-27
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Natural Gas and Electricity Review and Enforcement Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, and the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a temporary cease and desist order if it: (1) determines that any entity may be violating, may have violated, or may be about to violate any provision of such Acts or a FERC directive; and (2) finds that an alleged, threatened, or continued violation is likely to result in significant harm to either natural gas consumers or to the public interest. Amends the Federal Power Act to grant FERC emergency authority to change or suspend temporarily the rates, terms, or conditions of service on file with it before providing public notice and an opportunity for comment. Limits such temporary change or suspension to a period of not more than 30 days unless certain conditions are met.

Date: 2009-03-24
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2010 - (Sec. 2) Requires double hull protection of oil fuel tanks on certain vessels with a tank capacity of at least 600 cubic meters. Defines "oil fuel" as any oil used as fuel in connection with the vessel's propulsion and auxiliary machinery. (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to: (1) provide guidance to all vessel traffic personnel that clearly defines the use of authority to direct or control vessel movement when such direction or control is justified in the interest of safety; and (2) require vessel traffic personnel communications to identify the vessel, rather than the pilot, when vessels are operating in vessel traffic service pilotage areas. Requires the Secretary to identify, and report to Congress concerning, requirements for the necessary expansion, improvement, or construction of buildings, networks, communications, or other infrastructure to improve the effectiveness of existing vessel traffic service systems, or necessary to support recommended new vessel traffic service systems, including all necessary costs for construction, reconstruction, expansion, or improvement. Requires a review and validation of the recruiting, retention, training, and expansion of vessel traffic service personnel. (Sec. 4) Requires that at least one trained and experienced pollution investigator be on duty or on call at all times for each Coast Guard Sector Command. (Sec. 5) Modifies requirements regarding the duration of merchant mariner's documents and certificates of registry. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the extending of licenses, certificates of registry, and merchant mariner's documents in specified circumstances. Terminates that authorization on December 31, 2011. (Sec. 7) Limits to one the number of reports regarding port security terrorism exercises that the Coast Guard is required to submit each year to the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations. (Sec. 8) Requires that compliance with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 be determined by reference to the latest statement titled "Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation" for this Act.

Date: 2009-03-24
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Surface Estate Owner Notification Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, at least 45 days before the sale of a lease under the Mineral Leasing Act for development of U.S.-owned oil and gas resources (including coalbed methane), to submit a written notice to the surface estate owner of the land subject to the lease. Requires such a notice to include information on split estates and the rights and responsibilities of landowners. Requires the Secretary to notify the surface estate owner of: (1) the lessee's identity by 10 working days after a lease is issued; (2) any subsequent decisions regarding a lease, such as modification or waiver of stipulations and approval of rights of way; and (3) the issuance of the drilling permit within five days afterwards.

Date: 2009-03-26
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the program of research, development, and demonstration relating to existing transportation fuel distribution infrastructure and new alternative distribution infrastructure to address: (1) the effects of such infrastructure on small engines; and (2) efforts to prevent or mitigate against adverse impacts of the use of biofuels in small nonroad engines.

Date: 2009-03-30
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy
Denali National Park and Preserve Natural Gas Pipeline Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to issue in non-wilderness areas within the boundary of the Denali National Park and Preserve (the Park) in Alaska right-of-way permits for: (1) the high-pressure transmission pipeline located within, along, or near approximately seven miles of the George Parks Highway; (2) pipeline system appurtenances; and (3) any distribution and transmission pipelines needed to serve the Park.

Date: 2009-04-01
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Renewable Fuels Pipelines Act of 2009 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow federally-guaranteed loans for renewable fuel pipeline construction without regard to whether an appropriation for the cost has been made. Includes ethanol and biodiesel as renewable fuel. Allows a maximum guarantee by the Secretary of Energy of 90% of the pipeline project cost and more than one guarantee for a project (as long as the total guaranteed amount does not exceed 90%). Sets forth factors to be considered in guarantee determinations, including volume and quality of fuel, size of markets served, experience of the entity working with renewable fuel, and associated storage, production, and terminal facilities. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate a project to assemble a renewable fuel pipeline as a complete project and, as a result of the size and nature of the project, to make a guarantee for an initial loan at a preliminary stage in the loan approval process for the complete project.

Date: 2009-04-03
Topic: Energy (Natural Gas & Oil)
Subject: Energy