HR 5916 IH
101st CONGRESS
2d Session
 H. R. 5916
To require the President of the United States to use the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve in the event of a domestic energy supply shortage, to amend the
Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Export Administration Act of
1979 to prohibit the exportation of refined petroleum products except under
certain circumstances, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 24, 1990
Mr. TAUKE introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the
Committees on Energy and Commerce, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary
A BILL
To require the President of the United States to use the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve in the event of a domestic energy supply shortage, to amend the
Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Export Administration Act of
1979 to prohibit the exportation of refined petroleum products except under
certain circumstances, 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. MANDATORY USE OF STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE IN THE EVENT OF A
DOMESTIC ENERGY SUPPLY SHORTAGE.
  Section 161(h)(1) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42
  U.S.C. 6241(h)(1)) is amended by striking `may' and inserting `shall'.
SEC. 2. RESTRICTION ON EXPORT OF REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.
  (a) AMENDMENT TO EPCA- Section 7(e) of the Export Administration Act of
  1979 is amended to read as follows:
  `(e) REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS- (1) In the event of a domestic energy
  supply shortage (as determined by the President under section 161(h)(1)
  of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6241(h)(1)), no
  refined petroleum product may be exported except pursuant to an export
  license specifically authorizing such export.
  `(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no such license may be
  issued without the approval of the Secretary of Energy.
  `(3) Not later than 5 days after an application for a license to export
  any refined petroleum product or residual fuel oil is received, the
  Secretary shall notify the Congress of such application, together with
  the name of the exporter, the destination of the proposed export, and the
  amount and price of the proposed export. Such notification shall be made
  to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives,
  the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate,
  the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives,
  and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
  `(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term `refined petroleum product'
  means gasoline, kerosene, heating oil, jet fuel, diesel fuel, residual fuel
  oil, propane or butane, and including any natural liquid or natural gas
  liquid product, refined within the United States or entered for consumption
  within the United States.
  `(5) The Secretary may extend any time period prescribed in section 10
  of this Act to the extent necessary to take into delays in action by the
  Secretary on a license application on account of the provision of this
  subsection.'.
SEC. 3. APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE GOUGING
AND MARKET MANIPULATION BY OIL COMPANIES.
  (a) APPOINTMENT- Not less than 30 days after the date of the enactment of
  this Act, the Attorney General of the United States shall designate, from
  among the officers and employees of the Department of Justice, a special
  investigator to investigate whether, and the extent to which, domestic
  or foreign suppliers of petroleum products may be charging excessive
  prices for such supplies, or manipulating the market in violation of the
  antitrust laws. The Attorney General shall delegate to such person powers
  and authorization necessary to carry out such functions.
  (b) REPORT- Not less than 180 days after the appointment of an investigator
  under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall transmit a report detailing
  the findings of such investigators, to the Committee on Energy and Natural
  Resources of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
  of Representatives, and the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and
  of the House.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING COST OF DEPLOYMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF
UNITED STATES TROOPS IN SAUDI ARABIA
  It is the sense of the Congress that, in light of--
  (1) the significant expenditure (in both manpower and expenses) incurred
  by the United States in connection with the deployment of United States
  troops to protect Saudi Arabia; and
  (2) increased revenue raised by such country due to the sharp increases
  in oil prices,
the President should, through appropriate means, seek fair and equitable
payments from such country for the deployment and maintenance of such troops.