119-hr2556

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2556 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2556

 To enhance national security and energy independence through 
 comprehensive offshore energy resource assessment and mapping, to 
 establish a framework for the regular review and standardization of 
 offshore resource exploration methodologies, and for related purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 1, 2025

 Mr. Hunt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on 
 Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
 of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To enhance national security and energy independence through 
 comprehensive offshore energy resource assessment and mapping, to 
 establish a framework for the regular review and standardization of 
 offshore resource exploration methodologies, and for related purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Comprehensive Offshore Resource 
Enhancement Act of 2025'' or the ``CORE Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ASSESSMENT OF OFFSHORE ENERGY RESOURCES AND RESERVES.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Exploration; development, production.--The terms 
 ``exploration'', ``development'', and ``production'' have the 
 meanings given such terms in 

section 2 of the Outer Continental 
 Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331).

    (2) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
 Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior, and the 
 Secretary of State.

    (b) Report on Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall jointly submit to 
 the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee 
 on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
 and Commerce, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a 
 report that includes the following:
        (A) An identification and assessment of any 
 existing transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs, 
 including those covered by bilateral maritime boundary 
 treaties and agreements, and any potential 
 transboundary areas for future exploration, 
 development, and production of hydrocarbons.
        (B) An analysis of the legal frameworks established 
 by relevant maritime boundary treaties and agreements, 
 including provisions related to the equitable 
 exploration, development, and production of 
 transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs and mechanisms for 
 resolving disputes, and their adoption by counterparty 
 nations.
            (C) An evaluation of the potential economic, 
 environmental, and geopolitical implications of 
 transboundary hydrocarbon exploration, development, and 
 production, including impacts on domestic energy 
 security, greenhouse gas emissions, and international 
 relations.
            (D) Recommendations for enhancing cooperation and 
 coordination among the United States and neighboring 
 countries in the exploration, development, and 
 production of transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs, 
 including mechanisms for information sharing, joint 
 exploration, development, and production, and dispute 
 resolution.
        (E) Data and insights derived from recent 
 collaborative efforts between the United States and 
 Canada, such as seismic data collection, and an 
 analysis of how such efforts can inform the delineation 
 of maritime boundaries.
        (F) An examination of unresolved maritime 
 boundaries between the United States and Canada, 
 particularly those involving potential transboundary 
 hydrocarbon reservoirs, and an identification of 
 potential legal and diplomatic avenues to resolve 
 disputes over such boundaries, including the 
 possibility of involving international judicial bodies 
 such as the International Court of Justice or a chamber 
 constituted by such Court pursuant to a special 
 agreement between the parties.
        (G) A review of existing data on the potential for 
 shared exploration, development, and production of 
 transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs in disputed 
 maritime zones between the United States and Canada, 
 with recommendations for further studies or 
 negotiations to address uncertainties and maximize 
 joint exploration, development, and production 
 opportunities.
        (H) A comprehensive review of activities by 
 neighboring countries, including Cuba, Mexico, Canada, 
 the Bahamas, and Russia, regarding the exploration, 
 development, seismic surveying, drilling, production, 
 or any other activity related to transboundary 
 hydrocarbon reservoirs, which such review shall include 
 the status of any bilateral or multilateral agreements, 
 an assessment of foreign exploration, development, and 
 production efforts within transboundary zones adjacent 
 to United States maritime boundaries, and an analysis 
 of the potential implications of these activities for 
 United States energy security, environmental impacts, 
 and geopolitical considerations.

    (2) Other requirements.--In preparing the report required 
 to be submitted under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretaries shall--
        (A) prioritize the acquisition and use of advanced 
 geophysical, geological, and geotechnical data and 
 methods;
        (B) acquire and apply new and emerging modeling and 
 analytic technologies, including data analysis tools, 
 quantum computing, artificial intelligence, modeling, 
 and geographic information systems, to approximate the 
 quantity and establish a peer-reviewed range of 
 resources in each regional planning area with a 
 discussion of the upper and lower bound of the 
 estimates with that discussion to include 
 recommendations as to how to reduce the range of 
 uncertainty; and
            (C) in partnership with other relevant Federal 
 agencies, including the National Science Foundation, 
 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
 and the Office of Naval Research, utilize any existing 
 maritime vessels or deployed capability, including any 
 geophysical, geological, or related mapping 
 technologies.
            (c) Standardization of Existing Reports.--

Section 357 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15912) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a) --
        (A) by inserting ``, in consultation with other 
 relevant Federal agencies and not less frequently than 
 once every 5 years,'' after ``Secretary shall''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``of Mexico and 
 Canada'';

    (2) by redesignating subsection

    (b) as subsection
            (d) ;

    (3) by inserting after subsection

    (a) the following:
 ``

    (b) Inclusions.--An inventory and analysis conducted under 
subsection

    (a) shall include the following:
 ``

    (1) An assessment of the approximate quantity of 
 undiscovered resources in the Atlantic region, the Pacific 
 region off the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, and 
 Hawaii, the Alaska region, the Gulf of America region, and 
 offshore of territories of the United States, which shall 
 include the following:
 ``
        (A) A detailed analysis of how the future 
 production of these undiscovered resources could 
 influence the United States capacity to competitively 
 produce, market, and export hydrocarbons on a global 
 scale. Such detailed analysis shall consider key market 
 variables such as global supply and demand dynamics, 
 projected price points, geopolitical factors, and the 
 role of United States production in maintaining global 
 energy security.
 ``
        (B) An economic analysis of how the development 
 and production of these undiscovered resources would 
 affect domestic employment across the supply chain. 
 Such economic analysis shall include direct, indirect, 
 and induced job impacts, emphasizing the potential for 
 job creation in exploration, production, refining, 
 logistics, and associated industries.
 ``

    (2) An identification and assessment of how the 
 unavailability for leasing of any lands that are withdrawn 
 under 

section 12 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 
 U.S.C. 1341) or part of the National Marine Sanctuary System 
 established by 

section 301
            (c) of the National Marine 
 Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431
            (c) ) affects--
 ``
        (A) the exploration, development, and production 
 of oil and gas;
 ``
        (B) national security, including the Nation's 
 ability to supply the Armed Forces, its allies, and 
 trade partners with products derived from offshore oil 
 or gas;
 ``
            (C) domestic jobs and employment; and
 ``
            (D) the amount of revenue States and coastal 
 political subdivisions receive pursuant to--
 ``
            (i) section 105 of the Gulf of Mexico 
 Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 1331 
 note);
 ``
            (ii) the Land and Water Conservation Fund 
 (established under 

section 200301 of title 54, 
 United States Code); and
 ``
            (iii) division A of subtitle III of title 
 54 (commonly referred to as the `National 
 Historic Preservation Act').
 ``

    (3) An assessment, including identification of locations, 
 of non-energy mineral resources for commercial or national 
 security operations, including stone, sand, and gravel, and 
 offshore critical minerals.
 ``
            (c) Updating Models.--
 ``

    (1) Assessment.--The Secretary shall, in consultation 
 with the National Petroleum Council, the Society of Petroleum 
 Engineers, and the United States Association for Energy 
 Economics, periodically conduct an assessment of the costs, 
 benefits, and accuracy of the models utilized by the Department 
 of the Interior to conduct an inventory and analysis under 
 subsection

    (a) . The first assessment under this paragraph shall 
 be conducted not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
 of the CORE Act of 2025, and subsequent assessments not less 
 frequently than once every 10 years thereafter.
 ``

    (2) Updates and reports.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
 date on which the Secretary conducts an assessment 
 under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary of the Interior 
 shall, based on such assessment--
 ``
            (i) update the models described in such 
 paragraph and publish a report on such update; 
 or
 ``
            (ii) publish a report on why an update to 
 such models is not necessary.
 ``
        (B) Inclusions.--Each report published under 
 subparagraph
        (A) shall include the following:
 ``
            (i) A clear, detailed explanation of any 
 updates made to the models described in 
 paragraph

    (1) or why updates were not 
 necessary.
 ``
            (ii) An evaluation describing how any 
 updates made under subparagraph
        (A) improve the 
 accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and reliability 
 of the inventories and analyses conducted under 
 subsection

    (a) .
 ``
            (iii) If any updates recommend by the 
 National Petroleum Council, the Society of 
 Petroleum Engineers, or the United States 
 Association for Energy Economics are not 
 incorporated, a detailed explanation of why 
 such updates were not incorporated.''; and

    (4) in subsection
            (d) (as so redesignated)--
        (A) by striking ``The Secretary shall submit'' and 
 inserting ``Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of the CORE Act of 2025, the Secretary shall 
 submit''; and
        (B) by striking ``, within 6 months of the date of 
 enactment of the section''.

SEC. 3. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION PRACTICES FROM OFFSHORE 
 PRODUCING COUNTRY.

 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
not less frequently than once every 10 years thereafter, the Secretary 
of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the 
Secretary of Energy, shall publish on the website of the Department of 
the Interior and submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a comparative analysis of the offshore oil and 
gas exploration, development, and production practices for each major 
offshore producing country. To the fullest extent practicable, such 
comparative analysis shall include the following:

    (1) Data on--
        (A) the number of offshore acres offered for lease;
        (B) the frequency of lease auctions, sales, and 
 lease issuances; and
            (C) lease structures, fiscal terms, and the 
 competitive positioning of each major offshore 
 producing country relative to United States leasing 
 practices.

    (2) Detailed reporting on the volume of oil and gas 
 produced (measured in barrels on an annual basis and cubic 
 feet, respectively), including historical trends, production 
 forecasts, and the influence of technological advancements on 
 production efficiency and recovery rates.

    (3) An accounting of regional market demands, export 
 capabilities, and contributions to energy diversification 
 strategies.

    (4) An assessment, which shall be made in collaboration 
 with the United States Geological Survey, of the volume of both 
 undiscovered and discovered offshore oil and gas resources, 
 including probabilistic estimates of resource volumes that 
 consider geological, technological, and market factors 
 impacting exploration, development, and production.
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