Temporary reduction of Federal lease rentals, minimum bids, and related payments

(a) Rental payments During a supply shortage period, the Secretary shall reduce by 50 percent any rental payment otherwise due under applicable law with respect to an oil or gas lease if the lessee certifies to the Secretary that the savings resulting from the 50 percent reduction will be used to support covered upstream production activity. (b) Minimum bid During a supply shortage period, the minimum acceptable bid for an oil or gas lease shall be $2 per acre. (c) Administrative fees During a supply shortage period, the Secretary shall waive, reduce, or defer nonessential administrative fees associated with applications for permits to drill, sundry notices, rights-of-way, communitization agreements, unitization agreements, lease reinstatements, lease extensions, and related approvals for covered upstream production activity. (d) Certification A lessee receiving relief under this section shall certify to the Secretary that the relief will be used to support— (1) additional drilling, completion, recompletion, workover, or production activity; (2) maintenance or restoration of production; (3) avoidance of shut-in production; (4) reduction of delivered energy costs; or (5) employment, equipment, or field-service activity directly related to domestic production.