S.Amdt. 550

SA 550. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1268, making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, to establish and rapidly implement regulations for State driver's license and identification document security standards, to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 231, between lines 3 and 4, insert the following:

Sec. 6047. (a) Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall determine whether there is enough evidence--

(1) to determine the ownership of the subsurface mineral rights described in subsection (b); and

(2) to bring an action to quiet title with respect to the ownership of the subsurface mineral rights described in that subsection.

(b) The subsurface mineral rights referred to in subsection (a) are the subsurface mineral rights underlying 3588.34 acres of land in the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (referred to in this section as the “Refuge”) originally reserved by Stanolind Oil and Gas Company and described as tract 5c in a Judgment of Taking dated December 14, 1937, as recorded in the records of Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

(c) If the Secretary of the Interior determines that sufficient evidence exists under subsection (a), not later than 30 days after the date of the determination, the Secretary shall bring an action in the United States District Court for the State of Louisiana to resolve the title issue.

(d) Notwithstanding section 137 of Public Law 98-151 (97 Stat. 981) and section 3101.5-1 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), if the action brought under subsection (c) is resolved in favor of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior shall make available for leasing at the first Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States lease sale occurring after the date of enactment of this Act the subsurface mineral rights described in subsection (b).

(e) Any lease sale that takes place under subsection (d) and any exploration, development, or production of the subsurface mineral rights under a lease issued under that subsection shall be carried out in accordance with applicable regulations of the Department of the Interior, including regulations relating to a binding oral bid.

(f)(1) Any exploration, development, or production from a lease issued under subsection (d) shall be from an area outside the Refuge.

(2) No exploration or production activities shall be conducted on the surface of the Refuge.