S.Amdt. 2958

SA 2958. Mr. HATCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2012, to provide for the modernization of the energy
policy of the United States, and for other purposes; which was ordered
to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. PRIORITIZATION OF CERTAIN FEDERAL REVENUES.

Section 35 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191) is
amended--
(1) by striking the section designation and all that
follows through ``All money received'' in the first sentence
of subsection (a) and inserting the following:

``SEC. 35. DISPOSITION OF MONEY RECEIVED.

``(a) Disposition.--
``(1) In general.--All money received''; and
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the second sentence, by striking ``All moneys
received'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Amounts to miscellaneous receipts.--
``(A) In general.--All money received'';
(B) in the third sentence, by striking ``Payments to
States'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Deadlines.--Payments to States''; and
(C) in paragraph (2) (as designated by subparagraph (A)),
by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Prioritization of revenues.--
``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, if, after the date of enactment of this
subparagraph, the Secretary or Congress increases a royalty
rate under this Act (as in effect on the day before the date
of enactment of this subparagraph), of the amount described
in clause (ii), there shall be deposited annually in a
special account in the Treasury only such funds as are
necessary to fulfill the staffing requirements of the
agencies responsible for activities relating to--

``(I) coordinating or permitting Federal oil and gas
leases;
``(II) permits to drill and applications for permits to
drill (APDs);
``(III) compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
``(IV) any other aspect of oil and gas permitting or
leasing under this Act.

``(ii) Description of amount.--The amount referred to in
clause (i) is an amount equal to the difference between--

``(I) the amounts credited to miscellaneous receipts under
paragraph (1), taking into account the increased royalty rate
under this Act, as described in clause (i); and
``(II) the amounts credited to miscellaneous receipts under
paragraph (1), as in effect on the day before the effective
date of such an increased royalty rate.

``(iii) Memoranda of understanding.--To carry out the
staffing requirements prioritized under clause (i), the
Director of the Bureau of Land Management may enter into
memoranda of understanding for the provision of support work
with--

``(I) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
``(II) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief
of Engineers;
``(III) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service;
``(IV) the Chief of the Forest Service;
``(V) Indian tribes and tribal organizations; and
``(VI) Governors of the States.''.

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