HJR501 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Thad McClammy

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

U. S. Congress/Federal Government urged to indemnify Alabama counties for lost sixteenth section lands from offshore gulf oil revenues, Attorney General to provide oversight, amounts provided

Summary

A resolution urging Congress to annually indemnify Alabama counties for lost sixteenth section lands using offshore Gulf oil royalty revenues, with Attorney General oversight and funding safeguards.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would urge Congress to pay each Alabama county an amount reflecting the value of lost sixteenth section lands, funded from offshore royalty revenues. The payment is calculated by estimating each county's lost acres and multiplying by a per-acre value derived from one-sixteenth of that year's Gulf royalty revenue; a county-by-county list of indemnification amounts is provided as an example. It also requires safeguards to ensure these funds increase rather than replace existing education funds, and designates the Attorney General to oversee the process, with Alabama's Congressional Delegation actively pursuing the payments and implementing necessary actions.

Who It Affects

• Alabama counties would be eligible to receive annual indemnification payments for lost sixteenth section lands, as calculated by the bill's method.
• Alabama's Congressional Delegation and the Attorney General would be responsible for pursuing, overseeing, and implementing the indemnification process, including potential legislation and rulemaking.

Key Provisions

• Requests Congress to annually indemnify each Alabama county from offshore royalty revenues for lost sixteenth section lands using a defined calculation method.
• Calculation method: determine lost sixteenth section acres per county by comparing total entitlements to existing acreage, then multiply by a per-acre value derived from one-sixteenth of the 2008 Gulf royalty revenue (example per-acre value of $1,009).
• Provides a county-by-county list of indemnification amounts based on the calculation.
• Includes safeguards ensuring indemnification funds increase, not replace or decrease, any existing state or local education funds.
• Assigns oversight to the Attorney General for the process, rules, and distribution of funds.
• directs Alabama's Congressional Delegation to actively pursue annual indemnification and take necessary legislative or administrative actions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Resolutions, Legislative