Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 2.djvu/1086

 96 STAT. 2448

PUBLIC LAW 97-451—JAN. 12, 1983 FINDINGS AND PURPOSES

30 USC 1701.

SEC. 2. (a) Congress finds that— (1) the Secretary of the Interior should enforce effectively and uniformly existing regulations under the mineral leasing laws providing for the inspection of production activities on lease sites on Federal and Indian lands; (2) the system of accounting with respect to royalties and other payments due and owing on oil and gas produced from such lease sites is archaic and inadequate; (3) it is essential that the Secretary initiate procedures to improve methods of accounting for such royalties and payments and to provide for routine inspection of activities related to the production of oil and gas on such lease sites; and (4) the Secretary should aggressively carry out his trust responsibility in the administration of Indian oil and gas. (b) It is the purpose of this Act— (1) to clarify, reaffirm, expand, and define the responsibilities and obligations of lessees, operators, and other persons involved in transportation or sale of oil and gas from the Federal and Indian lands and the Outer Continental Shelf; (2) to clarify, reaffirm, expand and define the authorities and responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior to implement and maintain a royalty management system for oil and gas legises on Federal lands, Indian lands, and the Outer Continental Shelf; (3) to require the development of enforcement practices that ensure the prompt and proper collection and disbursement of oil and gas revenues owed to the United States and Indian lessors and those inuring to the benefit of States; (4) to fulfill the trust responsibility of the United States for the administration of Indian oil and gas resources; and (5) to effectively utilize the capabilities of the States and Indian tribes in developing and maintaining an efficient and effective Federal royalty management system. DEFINITIONS

30 USC 1702.

SEC. 3. For the purposes of this Act, the term— (1) "Federal land" means all land and interests in land owned by the United States which are subject to the mineral leasing laws, including mineral resources or mineral estates reserved to the United States in the conveyance of a surface or nonmineral estate; (2) "Indian allottee" means any Indian for whom land or an interest in land is held in trust by the United States or who holds title subject to Federal restriction against alienation; (3) "Indian lands" means any lands or interest in lands of an Indian tribe or an Indian allottee held in trust by the United States or which is subject to Federal restriction against alienation, including mineral resources and mineral estates reserved to an Indian tribe or an Indian allottee in the conveyance of a surface or nonmineral estate, except that such term does not include any lands subject to the provisions of section 3 of the Act of June 28, 1906 (34 Stat. 539); (4) "Indian tribe" means any Indian tribe, band, nation, pueblo, community, rancheria, colony, or other group of Indi-

�