Ocean Energy Safety and Technology Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, with respect to the consideration of permits for geological explorations and development and production, to allow the Secretary of the Interior to give priority to reviewing and processing plans and applications that use, develop, or demonstrate new safety-enhancing technologies.
Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a small business innovation research program or technology transfer program, or both, to broaden participation in the development of safer technologies for offshore oil and gas exploration and development; and (2) an Ocean Energy Safety Institute, as a collaborative federally funded research and development center or university-affiliated research center, to enhance safe and responsible operations across the offshore oil and gas industry. Funds operations of the Institute through an annual fee applicable to areas of the outer Continental Shelf subject to an oil or gas lease under which production is not occurring.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3780 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3780
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to establish an Ocean Energy Safety
Institute, to promote the use of best available and safest offshore
drilling technologies, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2013
Mr. Holt (for himself, Mr. DeFazio, and Mr. Lowenthal) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to establish an Ocean Energy Safety
Institute, to promote the use of best available and safest offshore
drilling technologies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ocean Energy Safety and Technology
Improvement Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. PRIORITY IN PERMITTING FOR NEW SAFETY-ENHANCING TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) Exploration Plans and Permits.--Section 11 of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1340) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(g) In considering exploration plans and applications for permits
and other authorizations required under this section, the Secretary may
give priority to reviewing and processing plans and applications that
use, develop, or demonstrate new safety-enhancing technologies.''.
(b) Development and Production Plans and Permits.--Section 25 of
such Act (43 U.S.C. 1351) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(m) In considering exploration plans and applications for permits
and other authorizations required under this section, the Secretary may
give priority to reviewing and processing plans and applications that
use, develop, or demonstrate new safety-enhancing technologies.''.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 31. ESTABLISHMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a small business
innovation research program or small business technology transfer
program, or both, in accordance with this section to broaden
participation by smaller industry participants in the development of
safer technologies for offshore oil and gas exploration and
development.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section each of the terms `small
business innovation research program' and `small business technology
transfer program' has the meaning given such term in section 9(e) of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(e)), as in effect on the date of
the enactment of the Ocean Energy Safety and Technology Improvement Act
of 2013.''.
SEC. 4. OCEAN ENERGY SAFETY INSTITUTE.
(a) In General.--The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1331 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 32. OCEAN ENERGY SAFETY INSTITUTE.
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an
independent Ocean Energy Safety Institute (in this section
referred to as the `Institute') to enhance safe and responsible
operations across the offshore oil and gas industry.
``(2) Form.--The Secretary may establish the Institute as--
``(A) a federally funded research and development
center through an agreement in accordance with Federal
Acquisition Regulation 35.017-1; or
``(B) a university-affiliated research center
managed by an institution of higher education.
``(3) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
Institute is a collaborative initiative involving government,
academia, and scientific experts.
``(b) Functions.--The Institute shall--
``(1) develop a program of research, technical assistance,
and education that serves as a center of expertise in oil and
gas exploration, development, and production technology;
``(2) provide a forum for dialogue, shared learning, and
cooperative research among academia, government, industry, and
other nongovernmental organizations, in offshore energy-related
technologies and activities that ensure safe and
environmentally responsible offshore oil and gas exploration,
development, and production operations;
``(3) serve as a technical center that captures and
preserves knowledge and experience to improve such operations;
``(4) provide recommendations and technical assistance to
the Secretary related to the determination of best available
and safest technology and environmentally sound offshore oil
and gas development practices;
``(5) evaluate design, test protocols, and test results on
behalf of the Secretary to certify new best available and
safest technologies for such operations that have health,
safety, or environment ramifications;
``(6) facilitate training of Federal workers on
identification and verification of best available and safest
technology, and implementation of operational improvements, in
the areas of offshore drilling safety and environmental
protection, blowout containment, and oil spill response;
``(7) develop and maintain a domestic and international
equipment failure reporting system and database of critical
offshore oil and gas operations equipment failures related to
well control;
``(8) provide recommendations and technical assistance
related to geological and geophysical sciences relevant to
understanding the technical challenges of offshore oil and gas
operations; and
``(9) provide knowledgeable independent assessments
concerning technology maturity, suitability, and cost.
``(c) Funding.--
``(1) Fee.--The Secretary shall issue regulations to
establish an annual nonproducing lease fee with respect to
areas of the outer Continental Shelf that are subject to a
lease under this Act for production of oil or natural gas under
which production is not occurring.
``(2) Application.--Such fee shall apply with respect to
land that is subject to such a lease that is in effect on the
date final regulations are promulgated under this subsection or
that is issued thereafter.
``(3) Amount.--The amount of the fee shall be $1 for each
acre of such land from which oil or natural gas is produced for
less than 90 days in a calendar year.
``(4) Assessment and collection.--The Secretary shall
assess and collect the fee established under this subsection.
``(5) Use.--Amounts received by the United States as the
fee under this subsection may be used by the Secretary for
operations of the Institute.
``(6) Preventing evasion.--The Secretary may include in the
regulations provisions to prevent evasion of the fee.
``(d) Reporting and Meetings.--The Institute shall provide a report
to the Secretary on all Institute activities on a quarterly basis, and
conduct an in-person meeting with the Secretary or the Secretary's
designees at least once each year.''.
(b) Deadline for Fee Regulations.--The Secretary of the Interior
shall issue regulations establishing the fee under the amendment made
by subsection (a) within 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1877-1878)
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
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