,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bihf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bh 
7legislative day1 ,september #bb71      
#bjbc,mr4 ,cassidy 7for himself1 ,ms4   
,lummis1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mrs4      
,britt1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,tuberville1 
and ,mr4 ,barrasso7 introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit the issuance  
of an interim or final rule1 and to     
prohibit the inclusion in certain oil   
and gas leases1 exploration or          
development plans1 or well permits      
requirements or recommendations1 that   
establish a vessel speed or operational 
restriction in the ,central or ,western 
,planning ,area of the ,gulf of ,mexico 
of the outer ,continental ,shelf until  
the ,secretary of the ,interior and the 
,secretary of ,commerce complete a study
 demonstrating that proposed mitigation 
efforts would have no negative impact on

 supply chains1 ,united ,states offshore
 energy production and generation1      
military activities1 including          
readiness1 and ,united ,states          
commercial and recreational fishing     
maritime commerce1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,warding off        
,hostile ,administrative ,leasing       
,efforts ,act or the ,,whale ,act4  #b4 
,vessel speed or operational            
restrictions in the ,gulf of ,mexico    
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,commerce shall not issue an interim or 
final rule1 and the ,secretary of the   
,interior shall not include in an       
offshore oil and gas lease sale1        
exploration or development plan1 or well
 permit in the ,central or ,western     
,planning ,area of the ,gulf of ,mexico 
of the outer ,continental ,shelf a      
requirement or recommendation1 that     
establishes a vessel speed or vessel    
operational restriction for any length  
of time in such a ,planning ,area until 

the ,secretary of ,commerce and         
,secretary of the ,interior-- 7#a7      
complete a study-- 7,a7 assessing the   
impact of any mitigation protocols      
developed under subsection 7b7 on-- 7i7 
the core habitat for ,rice's whales in  
the ,eastern ,planning ,area of the     
,gulf of ,mexico2 and  7ii7 seasonal    
occupation and usage patterns outside   
such core habitat2 and  7,b7            
demonstrating that mitigation protocols 
developed under subsection 7b7 would    
have no negative impact on supply       
chains1 ,united ,states offshore energy 
production and generation1 military     
activities1 including readiness1 and    
,united ,states commercial and          
recreational fishing or maritime        
commerce2 and  7#b7 not later than #fj  
days after completing the study         
described in paragraph 7#a71 submit a   
report containing the findings of such  
study to-- 7,a7 the ,committee on       
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 and the ,committee on ,energy and      

,natural ,resources of the ,senate2 and 
7,b7 the ,committee on ,natural         
,resources and the ,committee on ,energy
 and ,commerce of the ,house of         
,representatives4  7b7 ,mitigation      
protocols required  7#a7 ,in general    
,the ,secretary of ,commerce1 in        
concurrence with the ,secretary of the  
,interior and in consultation with the  
,secretary of the department in which   
the ,coast ,guard is operating1 the     
,secretary of ,defense1 the ,secretary  
of ,transportation1 and affected        
stakeholders1 shall develop mitigation  
protocols that make use of any          
monitoring system designed under section
 #aacjc of the ,don ,young ,coast ,guard
 ,authorization ,act of #bjbb 7#af      
,u4,s4,c4 #acia7 to direct              
sector-specific mitigation measures that
 reduce the risk of serious injury and  
mortality to ,rice's whales in the      
,eastern ,planning ,area of the ,gulf of
 ,mexico4  7#b7 ,prohibitions ,the      
mitigation protocols developed under    

paragraph 7#a7 may not include-- 7,a7   
any prohibitions on transit at night2 or
  7,b7 implementation of a vessel speed 
or vessel operational restriction4  7c7 
,national security ,the ,secretary of   
,commerce shall1 in coordination with   
the ,secretary of ,defense1 provide in  
any interim or final rule described in  
subsection 7a7 an exception for national
 security activities4  7d7 ,definition  
of core habitat ,for purposes of this   
section1 the term core habitat1 with    
respect to ,rice's whales1 has the      
meaning given the term ,bryde's whale   
area in the ,biological ,opinion on the 
,federally ,regulated ,oil and ,gas     
,program ,activities in the ,gulf of    
,mexico published by the ,department of 
,commerce on ,march #ac1 #bjbj4