A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 24, 2005

Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas.

Declares that such a lease shall not be further subject to the Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981.

Requires a lease for tar sand to be issued using the same bidding process, annual rental, and posting period as a lease issued for oil and gas. Sets the minimum acceptable bid for a tar sand lease at $2 per acre.

Authorizes the Secretary, in order to promote any resource covered by a combined hydrocarbon lease, to waive, suspend, or alter any requirement that a permittee under a permit authorizing prospecting for tar sand must exercise due diligence.

Read the summary on Congress.gov

PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · R–UT

Committees

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Sen. Bennett, Robert F. [R-UT]

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Jan 24, 2005
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Jan 24, 2005
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Jan 24, 2005 Formatted Text PDF

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.53 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.53, 109th Congress: A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/53

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2005-01-24.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/109/bills/s53/BILLS-109s53is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:10:46Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.53 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.53 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.53, 109th Congress: A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/53

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2005-01-24.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/109/bills/s53/BILLS-109s53is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:10:46Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.53 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.53 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.53, 109th Congress: A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/53

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2005-01-24.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/109/bills/s53/BILLS-109s53is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:10:46Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.53 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.53 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.53, 109th Congress: A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue separately, for the same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/53

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2005-01-24.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/109/bills/s53/BILLS-109s53is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:10:46Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.53 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.