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H.R. 1712 102nd Congress House

Offshore Lease Buyback Act of 1991

Official title: Amending the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act with respect to procedures for the cancellation of leases, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 10, 1991 See on congress.gov
Energy Continental shelfEnergy policyEnvironmental ProtectionEnvironmental assessment
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Government paperworkOil and gas leasesPetroleumPetroleum in submerged lands
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This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 8, 1992
See H.R.776.
Apr 22, 1991
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources.
Apr 15, 1991
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oceanography, Great Lakes, and the Outer Continental Shelf.
Apr 15, 1991
Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
Apr 10, 1991
Referred to the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Apr 10, 1991
Referred to the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Apr 10, 1991
Introduced in House
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 Latest action October 8, 1992

See H.R.776.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Offshore Lease Buyback Act of 1991 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to change from discretionary to mandatory the Secretary of the Interior's authority to cancel leases or permits in specified circumstances.

Prohibits the cancellation of a lease or permit unless operations under it have been suspended or temporarily prohibited by the Secretary or pursuant to an Act of the Congress. (Present law provides for suspension by the Secretary alone.) Decreases the extension of such suspended lease from five years to one.

Allows the compensation for a cancelled lease to be made in the form of a credit against bonus, rent, royalty, or permit fee payments.

Requires the national interest of lands within the Outer Continental Shelf to be determined by application of a balancing process that gives weight to obtaining oil and gas supplies and protection of the environment, while allowing for consideration of other factors.

Requires completion (subject to peer review) and publication within 180 days before an oil and gas lease sale of any environmental impact study of any area or region included in the lease sale.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 4722 Text similarities Marine and Coastal Environment and Global Climate Protection Act of 1992
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1712: Offshore Lease Buyback Act of 1991. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1712/
MLA
"H.R. 1712: Offshore Lease Buyback Act of 1991." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1712/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1712, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1712/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1712: Offshore Lease Buyback Act of 1991](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1712/)
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