Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 1980
Latest action. Reported to Senate from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with amendment, S. Rept. 96-793.
(Reported to Senate from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with amendment, S. Rept. 96-793) Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 1980 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 to alter the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to grant leases of oil and gas lands. Permits the Secretary to lease onshore Federal lands for oil and gas development by competitive bidding only on the basis of bidding systems set forth in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Directs the Secretary to issue a lease to the highest responsible qualified bidder for each tract offered at a sale. Directs the Secretary, at least once each quarter, to invite the public nomination of areas favorable for the discovery of oil or gas. Provides that any area which the Secretary determines to be available and suitable for oil and gas leasing shall automatically be offered for lease if the area receives either: (1) two or more public nominations; or (2) a single nomination in two successive quarters. Directs the Secretary to hold competitive oil and gas lease sales, consisting of nominated tracts and any additional areas selected by the Secretary on a quarterly basis, in states where tract nominations are received. Increases the size of the tract which may be leased from 640 to 5,120 acres, or larger if necessary to comprise a reasonable economic unit. Provides that a lease shall issue for an initial period of five years and so long thereafter as oil and gas is produced in paying quantities or drilling or reworking operations as approved by the Secretary are conducted. Permits a lessee to apply to extend the initial term for an additional term of up to five years. Requires the extension application to include an exploration plan. Authorizes the extension only if the lessee cannot explore due to adverse technical, economic, or environmental conditions. Increases the minimum annual rental fee from 50 cents to two dollars per acre. Prescribes an increased minimum royalty of four dollars per acre (up from one dollar) in lieu of rental at the expiration of each lease year beginning on or after a discovery of oil or gas in paying quantities. Provides that actions taken by the Secretary pursuant to the bidding, nomination, and lease procedures under this Act shall not be considered "major Federal actions" for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act. Permits the Secretary to disapprove an assignment of a lease: (1) of a separate zone or deposit; (2) of less than 640 acres; or (3) containing an overriding royalty which exceeds limits set by regulation. Directs the Secretary to issue the rules and regulations necessary for this Act within 180 days of enactment.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate with amendment(s)" stage on May 30, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on May 30, 1980: Reported to Senate from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with amendment, S. Rept. 96-793.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HENRY JACKSON (D-WA) introduced it on August 2, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on August 2, 1979, 17206 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16904 days ago, on May 30, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers