,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #didg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #b1  
#bjbj,mr4 ,kennedy 7for himself1 ,mrs4  
,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,cruz1
 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 and ,mr4 ,wicker7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act  
to require annual lease sales in the    
,gulf of ,mexico region of the outer    
,continental ,shelf1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,conservation       
,funding ,protection ,act4  #b4 ,annual 
lease sales in ,gulf of ,mexico region  
,section #ah of the ,outer ,continental 
,shelf ,lands ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following3  7i7 ,annual lease sales in  
,gulf of ,mexico ,region  7#a7          
,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7  
,central ,gulf of ,mexico ,planning     

,area ,the term ,central ,gulf of       
,mexico ,planning ,area has the meaning 
given the term ,central ,planning ,area 
in section #ajb of the ,gulf of ,mexico 
,energy ,security ,act of #bjjf 7#dc    
,u4,s4,c4 #acca note2 ,public ,law      
#aji-dcb74  7,b7 ,western ,gulf of      
,mexico ,planning ,area ,the term       
,western ,gulf of ,mexico ,planning     
,area means the ,western ,gulf of       
,mexico ,planning ,area of the outer    
,continental ,shelf1 as designated in   
the document entitled ,draft ,proposed  
,program ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,oil
 and ,gas ,leasing ,program #bjjg-bjab  
and dated ,february #bjjf4  7#b7 ,annual
 lease sales ,notwithstanding any other 
provision of law1 beginning in fiscal   
year #bjbb1 the ,secretary shall hold a 
minimum of #b region-wide lease sales   
annually in the ,gulf of ,mexico        
pursuant to this ,act1 each of which    
shall include areas in-- 7,a7 the       
,central ,gulf of ,mexico ,planning     
,area2 and  7,b7 the ,western ,gulf of  

,mexico ,planning ,area4  7#c7          
,requirements  7,a7 ,in general ,in     
carrying out the lease sales under      
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary shall    
issue leases to the highest responsible 
qualified bidder or bidders4  7,b7      
,areas included in lease sales ,in      
carrying out the lease sales under      
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary shall    
include in each lease sale all unleased 
areas that are not subject to           
restrictions as of the date of the lease
 sale4  7#d7 ,environmental review  7,a7
 ,in general ,with respect to each lease
 sale required under paragraph 7#b71 the
 ,secretary shall conduct any           
environmental reviews required by the   
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq474   
7,b7 ,deadline  7i7 ,individual review  
,if the ,secretary conducts             
environmental reviews with respect to a 
lease sale under subparagraph 7,a7 for  
each individual lease included in the   
lease sale1 the ,secretary shall        

complete all environmental reviews for  
the lease sale1 including by issuing a  
finding of no significant impact or a   
record of decision1 if applicable1 in   
less than #cfe calendar days4  7ii7     
,programmatic review ,if the ,secretary 
conducts a programmatic environmental   
review with respect to a lease sale     
under subparagraph 7,a7 for all leases  
under the lease sale1 the ,secretary    
shall complete the programmatic         
environmental review1 including by      
issuing a finding of no significant     
impact or a record of decision1 if      
applicable1 in less than #ahj calendar  
days4  7j7 ,permitting  7#a7 ,in general
 ,pursuant to sovereign contracting     
rights and obligations1 the ,secretary  
shall review and grant or deny in       
accordance with paragraph 7#b7 any      
application for a permit or other       
approval for offshore oil and natural   
gas exploration1 development1 and       
production activities under a lease     
issued pursuant to this ,act by not     

later than the earlier of-- 7,a7 #ge    
calendar days after the date on which   
the application is received by the      
,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management or
 the ,bureau of ,safety and             
,environmental ,enforcement2 or  7,b7   
any other applicable deadline required  
by law4  7#b7 ,approval or denial  7,a7 
,in general ,absent clear grounds for   
denial of an application for a permit or
 other approval described in paragraph  
7#a71 the ,secretary shall grant the    
permit or approval4  7,b7 ,requirement  
,if the ,secretary denies an application
 for a permit or other approval under   
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall 
provide to the applicant written notice 
explaining the grounds for the denial4  
4