,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cccj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #be1 
#bjbj,mr4 ,udall 7for himself and ,mr4  
,grassley7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend the ,mineral ,leasing ,act to     
increase certain royalty rates1 minimum 
bid amounts1 and rental rates1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,fair ,returns 
for ,public ,lands ,act of #bjbj4  #b4  
,increased onshore oil and gas royalty  
rates ,section #ag of the ,mineral      
,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bbf7 is   
amended-- 7#a7 by striking #ab4e each   
place it appears and inserting #ah4ge2  
and  7#b7 by striking #aba_/b per centum
 each place it appears and inserting    
#ah4ge percent4  #c4 ,increased minimum 
bid amount ,section #ag7;b7 of the      
,mineral ,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4   
#bbf7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph

 7#a77;,b7-- 7,a7 by striking the       
subparagraph designation and all that   
follows through the period at the end of
 the first sentence and inserting the   
following3  7,b7 ,national minimum      
acceptable bid  7i7 ,in general ,except 
as provided in clauses 7ii7 and 7v71 the
 national minimum acceptable bid shall  
be #aj per acre4  2  7,b7 in the second 
sentence-- 7i7 by striking ,thereafter1 
the ,secretary and inserting the        
following3  7ii7 ,adjustment ,the       
,secretary  2  7ii7 by striking is      
necessary3 7i7 to enhance and inserting 
the following3 is necessary-- 7,i7 to   
enhance  2 and  7iii7 by striking 7ii7  
to promote and inserting the following3 
7,,ii7 to promote  2  7,c7 in the third 
sentence1 by striking ,ninety days and  
inserting the following3  7iii7         
,notification #ij days  2  7,d7 in the  
fourth sentence1 by striking ,the       
proposal and inserting the following3   
7iv7 ,,nepa ,the proposal  2 and  7,e7  
by adding at the end the following3  7v7

 ,exception ,to ensure a return of fair 
market value1 as determined by the      
,secretary1 the ,secretary may establish
 in a notice of competitive lease sale a
 minimum acceptable bid applicable to   
the lease sale or one or more parcels   
within the lease sale that is higher    
than the national minimum bid under     
clause 7i74  2 and  7#b7 in subsection  
7b77#b77;,c71 by striking #b per acre   
and inserting 8#aj per acre''4  #d4     
,increased onshore oil and gas rental   
rates ,section #ag7;d7 of the ,mineral  
,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bbf7;d77  
is amended1 in the first sentence-- 7#a7
 by striking #a4ej per acre and         
inserting #c per acre2 and  7#b7 by     
striking #b per acre and inserting #e   
per acre4  #e4 ,fee for expression of   
interest ,section #ag of the ,mineral   
,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bbf7 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7q7 ,fee for expression of  
interest  7#a7 ,in general ,the         
,secretary shall charge any person who  

submits1 in accordance with procedures  
established by the ,secretary to carry  
out this subsection1 an expression of   
interest in leasing land available for  
disposition under this section for      
exploration for1 and development of1 oil
 or gas a fee1 in an amount determined  
by the ,secretary under paragraph 7#b74 
7#b7 ,amount ,the fee authorized under  
paragraph 7#a7 shall be established by  
the ,secretary in an amount that is     
determined by the ,secretary to be      
appropriate to cover the aggregate cost 
of processing an expression of interest 
under this subsection1 but not less than
 #ae per acre of the area covered by the
 applicable expression of interest4  4  
#f4 ,adjustment ,section #ag of the     
,mineral ,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4   
#bbf7 7as amended by section #e7 is     
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7r7 ,adjustment to certain  
fees ,the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 not   
later than #d years after the date of   
enactment of the ,fair ,returns for     

,public ,lands ,act of #bjbj1 and at    
least once every #d years thereafter1   
promulgate regulations adjusting each of
 the per-acre dollar amounts of fees    
imposed under subsections 7b71 7d71 and 
7q7 and subsections 7e7 and 7f7 of      
section #ca to reflect the change in the
 ,consumer ,price ,index for ,all ,urban
 ,consumers published by the ,bureau of 
,labor ,statistics2 and  7#b7 as the    
,secretary determines to be necessary to
 enhance financial returns to the       
,united ,states or to promote more      
efficient management of oil and gas     
resources on ,federal land1 promulgate  
regulations adjusting any of the        
applicable per-acre dollar amounts of   
fees imposed under subsection 7b71 7d71 
or 7q7 or subsection 7e7 or 7f7 of      
section #ca1 as applicable4  4  #g4     
,reinstatement of competitive leases    
,section #ca of the ,mineral ,leasing   
,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ahh7 is amended--  
7#a7 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 by        
striking paragraph 7#b7 and inserting   

the following3  7#b7 payment of back    
rentals and the inclusion in a          
reinstated lease of a requirement for   
future rentals at a rate of not less    
than #bj per acre per year2  2  7,b7 in 
paragraph 7#c7-- 7i7 in subparagraph    
7,a7-- 7,i7 by striking the subparagraph
 designation2  7,,ii7 by striking issued
 pursuant to the provisions of section  
#ag7;b7 of this ,act2  7,,iii7 by       
striking #afb_/c and inserting #be2 and 
7,,iv7 by inserting and after the       
semicolon2 and  7ii7 by striking        
subparagraph 7,b72 and  7,c7 in the     
second sentence of the undesignated     
matter following paragraph 7#d71 by     
striking 1 but not to exceed #ejj2 and  
7#b7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 in        
paragraph 7#c71 by striking #e and      
inserting #aj2 and  7,b7 in paragraph   
7#d71 by striking #aba_/b and inserting 
#be4  #h4 ,fiscal reform study and      
report  7a7 ,in general ,the            
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall offer to enter into an    

arrangement with the ,national ,academy 
of ,sciences under which the ,national  
,academy of ,sciences1 in cooperation   
with the ,comptroller ,general of the   
,united ,states1 shall conduct a study  
evaluating the efficiency and           
effectiveness of the implementation of  
this ,act and the amendments made by    
this ,act4  7b7 ,considerations ,the    
study conducted under subsection 7a7    
shall include consideration of-- 7#a7   
the systems of the ,department of the   
,interior for collecting and auditing   
payments under this ,act and the        
amendments made by this ,act2  7#b7 the 
performance of the stewardship of the   
,department of the ,interior and the    
disposition of receipts by the          
,department of the ,interior in carrying
 out this ,act and the amendments made  
by this ,act2 and  7#c7 the performance 
of the valuation approach carried out   
under this ,act and the amendments made 
by this ,act1 including a review of     
whether other approaches could more     

fully capture foregone revenue of       
leasing in low-market conditions in     
light of other possible economic uses at
 different points in the future4  7c7   
,report ,if the ,comptroller ,general of
 the ,united ,states enters into an     
arrangement with the ,national ,academy 
of ,sciences under subsection 7a71 not  
earlier than #c1 but not later than #e1 
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general    
shall submit to ,congress a report that 
describes the results of the study      
conducted under that subsection4