,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aji ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #af1 #bjbe,mr4 ,cassidy 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mrs4 ,britt1 and ,mr4 ,tuberville7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of the ,interior to conduct certain offshore lease sales under the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,offshore ,energy ,security ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,offshore oil and gas lease sales 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,offshore lease sale ,the term offshore lease sale means an oil and gas lease sale-- 7,a7 that is held by the ,secretary in accordance with the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca et seq471 notwithstanding the requirements of section #ah of that ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd72 7,b7 offers the same lease form1 lease terms1 economic conditions1 and stipulations as contained in the final notice of sale entitled ,gulf of ,mexico ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,oil and ,gas ,lease ,sale #bfa 7#hh ,fed4 ,reg4 #hjgej 7,november #bj1 #bjbc772 and 7,c7 that1 if any acceptable bids have been received for any tract offered in the lease sale1 results in the issuance of leases within #ij days of the sale to the highest bids on the tracts offered1 subject to the procedures for determining bid adequacy of the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management1 effective ,march #h1 #bjaf1 with respect to-- 7i7 ,central ,gulf of ,mexico ,sale #bda2 and 7ii7 ,eastern ,gulf of ,mexico ,sale #bbf4 7#b7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of the ,interior4 7b7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive any other requirements under section #ah of the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7 that would delay final approval of an offshore lease sale under subsection 7c74 7c7 ,requirement ,notwithstanding the #bjbd-bjbi ,national ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,oil and ,gas ,leasing ,program1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 conduct not fewer than #bj offshore lease sales1 as described under subsection 7d71 during the #aj-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this ,act2 and 7#b7 to the maximum extent practicable1 carry out a lease sale under this subsection in accordance with the ,record of ,decision approved by the ,secretary on ,january #ag1 #bjag1 and described in the notice of availability of the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management entitled ,record of ,decision for the #bjag-bjbb ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,oil and ,gas ,leasing ,program ,final ,programmatic ,environmental ,impact ,statement2 ,,mmaa#ajdjjj 7#hb ,fed4 ,reg4 #ffdc 7,january #ai1 #bjag774 7d7 ,timing ,in conducting the offshore lease sales under subsection 7c71 the ,secretary shall conduct a lease sale under this section not later than each of the following dates3 7#a7 ,march #ca1 #bjbf4 7#b7 ,august #ca1 #bjbf4 7#c7 ,march #ca1 #bjbg4 7#d7 ,august #ca1 #bjbg4 7#e7 ,march #ca1 #bjbh4 7#f7 ,august #ca1 #bjbh4 7#g7 ,march #ca1 #bjbi4 7#h7 ,august #ca1 #bjbi4 7#i7 ,march #ca1 #bjcj4 7#aj7 ,august #ca1 #bjcj4 7#aa7 ,march #ca1 #bjca4 7#ab7 ,august #ca1 #bjca4 7#ac7 ,march #ca1 #bjcb4 7#ad7 ,august #ca1 #bjcb4 7#ae7 ,march #ca1 #bjcc4 7#af7 ,august #ca1 #bjcc4 7#ag7 ,march #ca1 #bjcd4 7#ah7 ,august #ca1 #bjcd4 7#ai7 ,march #ca1 #bjce4 7#bj7 ,august #ca1 #bjce4 7e7 ,area offered for lease 7#a7 ,acreage ,the ,secretary shall offer not fewer than #gd1jjj1jjj acres for each offshore lease sale conducted under subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,location ,an offshore lease sale conducted under subsection 7c7 shall be in the ,gulf of ,mexico ,region ,program ,area as identified in ,figure ,s-#a of the #bjag-bjbb ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,oil and ,gas ,leasing ,proposed ,final ,program published on ,november #ah1 #bjaf by the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management 7as announced in the notice of availability of the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management entitled ,notice of ,availability of the #bjag-bjbb ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,oil and ,gas ,leasing ,proposed ,final ,program 7#ha ,fed4 ,reg4 #hdfab 7,november #bc1 #bjaf7774 7f7 ,effect of litigation 7#a7 ,in general ,a civil action relating to an environmental review under the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 with respect to an offshore lease sale conducted under this section shall not-- 7,a7 affect the validity of a lease issued under the offshore lease sale that is the subject of the civil action2 or 7,b7 except as provided in paragraph 7#c77;,b71 cause a delay in the timelines for the consideration of an application for permit to drill with respect to a lease issued under the offshore lease sale that is the subject of the civil action4 7#b7 ,remand2 processing of applications for permit to drill ,if1 in a civil action described in paragraph 7#a71 the environmental review for an offshore lease sale is found by the applicable court to violate the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47-- 7,a7 notwithstanding subchapter ,,ii of chapter #e1 and chapter #g1 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly known as the ,administrative ,procedures ,act71 the applicable court shall not set aside the offshore lease sale and vacate the leases issued pursuant to the sale but instead remand the matter to the ,secretary to resolve the violation2 and 7,b7 the ,secretary shall continue to process all applicable applications for permit to drill in accordance with the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca et seq474 7#c7 ,notice 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj days after the date on which a civil action described in paragraph 7#a7 is filed1 the ,secretary shall notify the holder of any lease issued under the lease sale that is the subject of the civil action of the filing of the civil action4 7,b7 ,timeline ,not later than #ij days after the date of receipt of a notice under subparagraph 7,a71 the holder of the lease may file with the ,secretary1 and the ,secretary may approve1 a request to pause the timeline with respect to the term of the lease during any period in which the civil action is pending4 7g7 ,moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the ,eastern ,gulf of ,mexico ,section #ajd of the ,gulf of ,mexico ,energy ,security ,act of #bjjf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca note2 ,public ,law #aji-dcb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,june #cj1 #bjbb and inserting ,december #ca1 #bjce2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking or after the semicolon2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#c77;,b77iii71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7,d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 any area in the ,south ,atlantic ,planning ,area 7as designated by the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management as of the date of enactment of this paragraph72 or 7#e7 any area in the ,straits of ,florida ,planning ,area 7as designated by the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management as of the date of enactment of this paragraph74 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7d7 ,effect on certain leases ,the moratoria under subsection 7a7 shall not affect valid existing leases in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection4 7e7 ,environmental exceptions ,notwithstanding subsection 7a71 the ,secretary may issue leases in areas described in that subsection for environmental conservation purposes1 including the purposes of shore protection1 beach nourishment and restoration1 wetlands restoration1 and habitat protection4 4