Section 9-17-190 Legislative Findings.

The Legislature finds and declares that the following facts are true and correct: (1) The 109th Congress of the United States of America enacted into law Public Law 109-432, Division C, Title I, (43 U.S.C. § 1331 note), commonly known as the “Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.” (2) Congress, in the federal act, created revenue sharing provisions for the four Gulf oil and gas producing States of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas and their coastal political subdivisions. (3) The federal act requires that each Gulf oil and gas producing state receive a minimum of 10 percent of the amount available from federal qualified Outer Continental Shelf revenues each fiscal year. (4) The federal act requires that 20 percent of the amount allocated to each state shall be distributed directly to the coastal political subdivisions in the states in accordance with subparagraphs (B), (C), and (E) of Section 31(b)(4) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. § 1356a(b)(4)). (5) The federal act further requires that all amounts received by the Gulf oil and gas producing states and their coastal political subdivisions be used only for one or more of the following purposes: a. Projects and activities for the purposes of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protections, and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetland losses. b. Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources. c. Implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan. d. Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects. e. Planning assistance and administrative costs necessary to comply with the provisions of the Act.