To protect the sanctity of contracts and leases entered into by surface patent holders with respect to coalbed methane gas.

Summary

Declares that the United States shall not deem as an infringement upon its ownership rights certain existing Federal contracts and leases covering land conveyed by the United States that in turn convey to surface patent holders any rights to coalbed methane gas exploration, extraction, sales, or production. Declares this Act applicable only to land with respect to which the United States owns coal reserved to it in a patent issued under specified Federal law. States that this Act does not: (1) apply to any tribally-owned or State-owned interest in coal or land; or (2) limit the right of any person who entered into a contract or lease for federally-owned coal before, on or after the date of enactment of this Act to mine and remove such coal, and to release coalbed methane without liability to surface patent holders with rights to explore for, extract, sell, or produce coalbed methane.

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3 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 18 September 1998

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• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 18 September 1998

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 18 September 1998

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