text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Methane Hydrate Research and 
  Development Amendments Act of 2015''.
  
  SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT 
                OF 2000.
  
      (a) Findings.--Section 2 of the Methane Hydrate Research and 
  Development Act of 2000 (30 U.S.C. 2001) is amended--
              (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
              (2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and 
          inserting a semicolon; and
              (3) by adding at the end the following:
              ``(6) methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that may be 
          exchanged between terrestrial methane hydrate reservoirs and 
          the atmosphere by natural or anthropogenic processes; and
              ``(7) the short- and long-term release of methane from 
          arctic or marine reservoirs may have significant environmental 
          effects, including global climate change.''.
      (b) Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program.--
              (1) In general.--Section 4 of the Methane Hydrate Research 
          and Development Act of 2000 (30 U.S.C. 2003) is amended by 
          striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
      ``(b) Grants, Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, Interagency Funds 
  Transfer Agreements, and Field Work Proposals.--
              ``(1) Assistance and coordination.--In carrying out the 
          program of methane hydrate research and development authorized 
          by this section, the Secretary may award grants to, or enter 
          into contracts or cooperative agreements with, institutions 
          that--
                      ``(A) conduct basic and applied research to 
                  identify, explore, assess, and develop methane hydrate 
                  as a commercially viable source of energy;
                      ``(B) identify and characterize methane hydrate 
                  resources using remote sensing and seismic data, 
                  including the characterization of hydrate 
                  concentrations in marine reservoirs in the Gulf of 
                  Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean Basin by the date that is 
                  4 years after the date of enactment of the Methane 
                  Hydrate Research and Development Amendments Act of 
                  2015;
                      ``(C) develop technologies required for efficient 
                  and environmentally sound development of methane 
                  hydrate resources;
                      ``(D) conduct basic and applied research to assess 
                  and mitigate the environmental impact of hydrate 
                  degassing (including natural degassing and degassing 
                  associated with commercial development);
                      ``(E) develop technologies to reduce the risks of 
                  drilling through methane hydrates;
                      ``(F) conduct exploratory drilling, well testing, 
                  and production testing operations on permafrost and 
                  nonpermafrost gas hydrates in support of the activities 
                  authorized by this paragraph, including--
                              ``(i) drilling of a test well and 
                          performing a long-term hydrate production test 
                          on land in the United States Arctic region by 
                          the date that is 4 years after the date of 
                          enactment of the Methane Hydrate Research and 
                          Development Amendments Act of 2015;
                              ``(ii) drilling of a test well and 
                          performing a long-term hydrate production test 
                          in a marine environment by the date that is 10 
                          years after the date of enactment of the 
                          Methane Hydrate Research and Development 
                          Amendments Act of 2015; and
                              ``(iii) drilling a full-scale production 
                          test well at a location to be determined by the 
                          Secretary; or
                      ``(G) expand education and training programs in 
                  methane hydrate resource research and resource 
                  development through fellowships or other means for 
                  graduate education and training.
              ``(2) Environmental monitoring.--The Secretary shall 
          conduct a long-term environmental monitoring program to study 
          the effects of production from methane hydrate reservoirs.
              ``(3) Competitive peer review.--Funds made available under 
          paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be made available based on a 
          competitive process using external scientific peer review of 
          proposed research.''.
              (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 4(e) of the Methane 
          Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (30 U.S.C. 
          2003(e)) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by 
          striking ``subsection (b)(1)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (1) 
          and (2) of subsection (b)''.
      (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--The Methane Hydrate Research 
  and Development Act of 2000 is amended by striking section 7 (30 U.S.C. 
  2006) and inserting the following:
  
  ``SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such 
  sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.''.
target: Methane Hydrate Research and Development Amendments Act of 2015 This bill amends the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 to revise and reauthorize the Department of Energy's (DOE) program of methane hydrate research and development. In carrying out the program, DOE may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, institutions that: (1) drill a test well and perform a long-term hydrate production test on land in the U.S. Arctic region within 4 years, (2) drill a test well and perform a long-term hydrate production test in a marine environment within 10 years, or (3) drill a full-scale production test well at a location to be determined by DOE.  DOE must conduct a long-term environmental monitoring program to study the effects of production from methane hydrate reservoirs.
feat_title: Methane Hydrate Research and Development Amendments Act of 2015