,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #acih  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ba1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,wittman 7for himself and ,mr4     
,hastings of ,washington7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to facilitate the           
development of offshore wind energy     
resources4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited at the ,advancing ,offshore
 ,wind ,production ,act4  #b4 ,offshore 
meteorological site testing and         
monitoring projects  7a7 ,definition of 
an offshore meteorological site testing 
and monitoring project ,in this section1
 the term offshore meteorological site  
testing and monitoring project means a  
project carried out on or in the waters 
of the ,outer ,continental ,shelf       
administered by the ,department of the  
,interior to test or monitor weather    
7including wind1 tidal1 current1 and    
solar energy7 using towers1 buoys1 or   
other temporary ocean infrastructure1   

that--  7#a7 causes--  7,a7 less than #a
 acre of surface or seafloor disruption 
at the location of each meteorological  
tower or other device2 and  7,b7 not    
more than #e acres of surface or        
seafloor disruption within the proposed 
area affected by for the project        
7including hazards to navigation72  7#b7
 is decommissioned not more than #e     
years after the date of commencement of 
the project1 including--  7,a7 removal  
of towers1 buoys1 or other temporary    
ocean infrastructure from the project   
site2 and  7,b7 restoration of the      
project site to approximately the       
original condition of the site2 and     
7#c7 provides meteorological information
 obtained by the project to the         
,secretary of the ,interior4  7b7       
,offshore meteorological project        
permitting  7#a7 ,in general ,the       
,secretary of the ,interior shall by    
regulation require that any applicant   
seeking to conduct an offshore          
meteorological site testing and         

monitoring project on the outer         
,continental ,shelf 7as that term is    
defined in the ,outer ,continental      
,shelf ,lands ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca 
et seq477 must obtain a permit and right
 of way for the project in accordance   
with this subsection4  7#b7 ,permit and 
right of way timeline and conditions    
7,a7 ,deadline for approval ,the        
,secretary shall decide whether to issue
 a permit and right of way for an       
offshore meteorological site testing and
 monitoring project within #cj days     
after receiving an application4  7,b7   
,public comment and consultation ,during
 the period referred to in subparagraph 
7,a71 the ,secretary shall--  7i7       
provide an opportunity for submission of
 comments by the public2 and  7ii7      
consult with the ,secretary of ,defense1
 the ,commandant of the ,coast ,guard1  
and the heads of other ,federal1 ,state1
 and local agencies that would be       
affected by issuance of the permit and  
right of way4  7,c7 ,denial of permit2  

opportunity to remedy deficiencies ,if  
the application is denied1 the          
,secretary shall provide the applicant--
  7i7 in writing1 clear and             
comprehensive reasons why the           
application was not approved and        
detailed information concerning any     
deficiencies in the application2 and    
7ii7 an opportunity to remedy such      
deficiencies4  7c7 ,,nepa exclusion     
,section #ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national  
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 shall not 
apply with respect to an offshore       
meteorological site testing and         
monitoring project4  7d7 ,protection of 
information ,the information provided to
 the ,secretary of the ,interior        
pursuant to subsection 7a77#c7 shall be 
treated by the ,secretary as proprietary
 information and protected against      
disclosure4