872 



states and others by section 1311 of this title. 



(b) In time of war or when necessary for national 

 defense, and the Congress or the President shall so 

 prescribe, the United States shall have the right of 

 first refusal to purchase at the prevailing market 

 price, all or any portion of the said natural resources, 

 or to acquire and use any portion of said lands by 

 proceeding in accordance with due process of law 

 and paying just compensation therefor. (May 22, 

 1953, ch. 65, title II, § 6, 67 Stat. 32.) 



§1315. Rights acquired under law.s of the I'niled 

 States unaffected. 



Nothing contained in this chapter shall affect such 

 rights, if any. as may have been acquired under any 

 law of the United States by any person in lands sub- 

 ject to this chapter and such rights, if any, shall be 

 governed by the law in effect at the time they may 

 have been acquired: Provided, however. That 

 nothing contained in this chapter is intended or 

 shall be construed as a finding, interpretation, or 

 construction by the Congress that the law under 

 which such rights may be claimed in fact or in law 

 applies to the lands subject to this chapter, or au- 

 thorizes or compels the granting of such rights in 

 such lands, and that the determination of the ap- 

 plicability or effect of such law shall be unafifected 

 by anything contained in this chapter. (May 22, 

 1953, ch. 65, title II, § 8, 67 Stat. 32.) 



SUBCHAPTER lU.— OUTER CONTINENTAL 

 SHELF LANDS 



§ 1331. Definitions. 



When used in this subchapter — 



(a) The term "outer Continental Shelf" means 

 all submerged lands lying seaward and outside of 

 the area of lands beneath navigable waters as de- 

 fined in section 1301 of this title, and of which the 

 subsoil and seabed appertain to the United States 

 and are subject to its jurisdiction and control; 



(b) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of 

 the Interior; 



(c) The term "mineral lease" means any form of 

 authorization for the exploration for, or develop- 

 ment or removal of deposits of, oil, gas, or other 

 minerals; and 



(d) The term "person" includes, in addition to a 

 natural person, an association, a State, a political 

 subdivision of a State, or a private, public, or munici- 

 pal corporation (Aug. 7, 1953, ch. 345. § 2, 67 Stat. 

 462.) 



§1332. Congressional declaration of policy; jurisdic- 

 tion ; construction. 



(a) It is declared to be the policy of the United 

 States thai the subsoil and seabed of the outer Con- 

 tinental Shelf appertain to the United States and 

 are subject to its jurisdiction, control, and power of 

 disposition a,-; provided in this subchapter. 



<b) This subchapter shall be construed in such 

 manner that the character as high seas of the waters 

 above the outer Continental Shelf and the right 

 to navigation and fishing therein shall not be 

 affected. (Aug. 7, 1953, ch. 345, § 3, 67 Stat. 462.) 



§ 1333. Laws and regulations governing lands. 



(a) Constitution and United .State.s laws; laws of ad- 

 jacent States; publication of projected State 

 lines; restriction on .State taxation and jurisdic- 

 tion. 



(1) The Constitution and laws and civil and 

 political jurisdiction of the United States are ex- 

 tended to the subsoil and seabed of the outer Con- 

 tinental Shelf and to all artificial islands and fixed 

 structures which may be erected thereon for the 

 purpose of exploring for, developing, removing, and 

 transporting resources therefrom, to the same ex- 

 tent as if the outer Continental Shelf were an area 

 of exclusive Federal jurisdiction located within a 

 State: Provided, however. That mineral leases on 

 the outer Continental Shelf shall be maintained or 

 issued only under the provisions of this subchapter. 



i2) To the extent that they are applicable and 

 not inconsistent with this subchapter or with other 

 Federal laws and regulations of the Secretary now 

 in effect or hereafter adopted, the civil and criminal 

 laws of each adjacent State as of August 7, 1953 

 are declared to be the law of the United States for 

 that portion of the subsoil and seabed of the outer 

 Continental Shelf, and artificial islands and fixed 

 structures erected thereon, which would be within 

 the area of the State if its boundaries were ex- 

 tended seaward to the outer margin of the outer 

 Continental Shelf, and the President shall deter- 

 mine and publish in the Federal Register such pro- 

 jected lines extending seaward and defining each 

 such area. All of such applicable laws shall be 

 administered and enforced by the appropriate offi- 

 cers and courts of the United States. State taxation 

 laws shall not apply to the outer Continental Shelf. 

 (3) The provisions of this section for adoption of 

 State law as the law of the United States shall never 

 be interpreted as a basis for claiming any interest 

 in or jurisdiction on behalf of any State for any 

 purpose over the seabed and subsoil of the outer 

 Continental Shelf, or the property and natural re- 

 sources thereof or the revenues therefrom. 



(b) Jurisdiction of I'nited States district courts. 



The United States district courts shall have 

 original jurisdiction of cases and controversies aris- 

 ing out of or in connection with any operations 

 conducted on the outer Continental Shelf for the 

 purpose of exploring for, developing, removing or 

 transporting by pipeline the natural resources, or 

 involving rights to the natural resources of the sub- 

 soil and seabed of the outer Continental Shelf, and 

 proceedings with respect to any such case or con- 

 troversy may be instituted in the judicial district 

 in which any defendant resides or may be found, or 

 in the judicial district of the adjacent State nearest 

 the place where the cause of action arose. 



(c) .Applicability of Longshoremen's and Harbor 

 Workers' Compensation Act; definitions. 



With respect to disability or death of an employee 

 resulting from any injury occurring as the result 

 of operations described in subsection (b) of this sec- 

 tion, compensation shall be payable under the pro- 

 visions of the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' 

 Compensation Act. For the purposes .of the exten- 

 sion of the provisions of the Longshoremen's and 



