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House panel OK's close-in drilling bill

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- A U.S. House panel has approved a bill that would allow oil and gas drilling closer to Florida's coast, and the measure is set for a full House vote next week.

The House Resources Committee approved a bill 29-9 that would allow drilling as close as 100 miles from the nation's shores, and even closer if states permit it, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported.

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The bill is set to head to the House floor next week, where it is expected to pass. The Senate, however, is expected to ignore it.

The bill would immediately end the drilling ban in waters from 100 miles to 200 miles out, which off California is too deep for drilling anyway.

For waters from the coast out to 50 miles, the drilling ban would be made permanent, but states would be given heavy incentives, starting at 75 percent of the revenues, to let the drilling rigs in.

In the waters between 50 miles and 100 miles off the coast, the bill would force state lawmakers to vote regularly for the drilling ban to remain in place.

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