Sec. 205. Energy development in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

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Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Defense shall update the memorandum of agreement entitled Memorandum of Agreement Between the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior on Mutual Concerns on the Outer Continental Shelf to ensure compatibility between the military mission and oil and gas operations in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Nothing in this section affects section 12 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1341 ).

The stipulations and restrictions developed under this subsection shall not apply to existing leases in the Eastern Planning Area. Notwithstanding the omission of any of these areas from the Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing program approved by the Secretary of the Interior under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1344 ), as in effect at the time of the lease sale, but subject to paragraph

(2)of this subsection, the Secretary shall offer the following areas for oil and gas leasing under such Act: All acreage of the Eastern Planning Area that is not subject to section 104(a) of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 ( 43 U.S.C. 1331 note), as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, by holding at least two lease sales before December 31, 2021. All acreage of the Eastern Planning Area by holding at least one additional sale after June 30, 2022, and before December 31, 2022, and at least two additional sales each subsequent year. The Secretary and all other Federal officials shall complete all actions required by section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) ) with respect to such lease sales by not later than 1 year before the final lease sale conducted under paragraph (1). In this section, the term Eastern Planning Area means the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area of the Outer Continental Shelf, as such planning area is depicted in the document titled 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program , dated November 2016, or a subsequent oil and gas leasing program developed under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1344 ). Section 8(b)(2) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1337(b)(2) ) is amended to read as follows: be for an initial period of not more than— 5 years; 10 years if the Secretary finds that a longer period is necessary to encourage exploration and development in areas with unusually deep water or other unusually adverse conditions; or 15 years for leases located in water depths of more than 1,500 meters and as long as— oil or gas is produced from the area in paying quantities; or drilling or well reworking operations approved by the Secretary are conducted; . Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall issue regulations under which the Secretary may extend by 5 years the term of an oil and gas lease under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1344 ) for a tract located in water depths of more than 1,500 meters. Regulations issued under this paragraph shall require— submission of an application for such extension; and payment of a minimum bid amount. The Secretary may not extend the term of a lease under this paragraph more than once. The Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report regarding options for sharing the revenue collected from oil and gas leasing in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area with the Gulf States consistent with section 105 of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 ( 43 U.S.C. 1331 note), as amended by section 203 of this Act. The report shall include analysis of potential economic benefits to the Gulf States and recommendations for authorizing the use of the revenue for coastal restoration, recovering endangered species, coral restoration, and mitigation of harmful algal blooms.

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Sec. 205

Energy development in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

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