Bill Summary
The Polar Bear Cub Survival Act of 2020 is a bill that aims to amend Public Law 115-97. The amendment prohibits any oil and gas activities, including exploration, development, production, and transportation activities, within one mile of polar bear maternal den habitat. This restriction applies to both permanent and temporary infrastructure. The specific areas that are protected are identified on Map 3-37 in the "Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Final Environmental Impact Statement" issued by the Secretary of the Interior on September 12, 2019. This bill is also known as the "Polar Bear Cub Survival Act of 2020".
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation could potentially restrict oil and gas companies from conducting activities within one mile of polar bear maternal den habitats, which could lead to decreased profits for these companies and potentially impact their employees' job security.
2. The protection of polar bear maternal den habitat could greatly benefit the survival and well-being of polar bear populations, but it could also potentially limit access to natural resources for indigenous communities who rely on these resources for their livelihoods.
3. The implementation of this legislation could lead to increased costs and complications for oil and gas companies, as they may have to alter their operations and find alternative locations for their activities. This could also indirectly affect consumers, as the companies may pass on these added costs to them in the form of higher prices for oil and gas products.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7876 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7876
To amend Public Law 115-97 to prohibit oil and gas activities within
one mile of polar bear maternal den habitat, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2020
Mr. Huffman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend Public Law 115-97 to prohibit oil and gas activities within
one mile of polar bear maternal den habitat, and for other 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 ``Polar Bear Cub Survival Act of
2020''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES WITHIN ONE MILE OF POLAR
BEAR MATERNAL DEN HABITAT.
Section 20001 of Public Law 115-97 (16 U.S.C. 3143 note) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by inserting ``and subsection
(d)'' after ``subparagraph (B)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Protection of Polar Bear Maternal Den Habitat.--Oil and gas
activities, including exploration, development, production, and
transportation activities, and permanent or temporary infrastructure,
are prohibited within one mile of polar bear maternal den habitat, as
such habitat is identified on Map 3-37 in the document entitled
`Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Final Environmental Impact
Statement', dated September 12, 2019, and issued by the Secretary of
the Interior.''.
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