Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 6, 2013.  Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act - Title I: Amendment to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act - (Sec. 101) Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to implement any agreement for the management of transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs entered into by the President and approved by Congress. Prescribes procedures for submission of such agreements to Congress.  Authorizes the Secretary to implement the terms of the Agreement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States Concerning Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico, signed at Los Cabos, February 20, 2012 (the Agreement), including: (1) approving unitization agreements and related arrangements for the exploration, development, or production of oil and natural gas from transboundary reservoirs or geological structures; (2) making available, subject to the agreement's confidentiality protections, information pertaining to such activities that may be considered confidential, privileged, or proprietary; and (3) ensuring that only the operator, lessee, or inspection staff at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement have authority to stop work on such activities on any production site attached to the U.S. seabed. Exempts from resources extraction reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 any actions taken by a public company in accordance with a transboundary hydrocarbon agreement. Prohibits this Act from being construed as: (1) authorizing the Secretary to participate in any negotiations, conferences, or consultations with Cuba regarding exploration, development, or production of hydrocarbon resources in the Gulf of Mexico along the U.S. maritime border with Cuba (including the area known as the &quot;Eastern Gap&quot;); or (2) affecting U.S. sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the outer Continental Shelf which appertains to it. Title II: Approval of Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement - (Sec. 201) Approves the Agreement.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Outer Continental Shelf 
Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act''.

      TITLE I--AMENDMENT TO THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT

SEC. 101. AMENDMENT TO THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT.

    The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 32. TRANSBOUNDARY HYDROCARBON AGREEMENTS.

    ``(a) Authorization.--After the date of enactment of the Outer 
Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization 
Act, the Secretary may implement the terms of any transboundary 
hydrocarbon agreement for the management of transboundary hydrocarbon 
reservoirs entered into by the President and approved by Congress. In 
implementing such an agreement, the Secretary shall protect the 
interests of the United States to promote domestic job creation and 
ensure the expeditious and orderly development and conservation of 
domestic mineral resources in accordance with all applicable United 
States laws governing the exploration, development, and production of 
hydrocarbon resources on the outer Continental Shelf.
    ``(b) Submission to Congress.--
            ``(1) In general.--No later than 180 days after all parties 
        to a transboundary hydrocarbon agreement have agreed to its 
        terms, a transboundary hydrocarbon agreement that does not 
        constitute a treaty in the judgment of the President shall be 
        submitted by the Secretary to--
                    ``(A) the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
                    ``(B) the Majority Leader of the Senate;
                    ``(C) the Chair of the Committee on Natural 
                Resources of the House of Representatives; and
                    ``(D) the Chair of the Committee on Energy and 
                Natural Resources of the Senate.
            ``(2) Contents of submission.--The submission shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) any amendments to this Act or other Federal 
                law necessary to implement the agreement;
                    ``(B) an analysis of the economic impacts such an 
                agreement and any amendments necessitated by the 
                agreement will have on domestic exploration, 
                development, and production of hydrocarbon resources on 
                the outer Continental Shelf; and
                    ``(C) a detailed description of any regulations 
                expected to be issued by the Secretary to implement the 
                agreement.
    ``(c) Implementation of Specific Transboundary Agreement With 
Mexico.--The Secretary may take actions as necessary to implement the 
terms of the Agreement between the United States of America and the 
United Mexican States Concerning Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs 
in the Gulf of Mexico, signed at Los Cabos, February 20, 2012, 
including--
            ``(1) approving unitization agreements and related 
        arrangements for the exploration, development, or production of 
        oil and natural gas from transboundary reservoirs or geological 
        structures;
            ``(2) making available, in the limited manner necessary 
        under the agreement and subject to the protections of 
        confidentiality provided by the agreement, information relating 
        to the exploration, development, and production of oil and 
        natural gas from a transboundary reservoir or geological 
        structure that may be considered confidential, privileged, or 
        proprietary information under law;
            ``(3) taking actions consistent with an expert 
        determination under the agreement; and
            ``(4) ensuring only appropriate inspection staff at the 
        Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement or other Federal 
        agency personnel designated by the Bureau, the operator, or the 
        lessee have authority to stop work on any installation or other 
        device or vessel permanently or temporarily attached to the 
        seabed of the United States, which may be erected thereon for 
        the purpose of resource exploration, development or production 
        activities as approved by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Exemption From Resources Extraction Reporting Requirement.--
Actions taken by a public company in accordance with any transboundary 
hydrocarbon agreement shall not constitute the commercial development 
of oil, natural gas, or minerals for purposes of section 13(q) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (157 U.S.C. 78m(q)).
    ``(e) Savings Provisions.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed--
            ``(1) to authorize the Secretary to participate in any 
        negotiations, conferences, or consultations with Cuba regarding 
        exploration, development, or production of hydrocarbon 
        resources in the Gulf of Mexico along the United States 
        maritime border with Cuba or the area known by the Department 
        of the Interior as the `Eastern Gap'; or
            ``(2) as affecting the sovereign rights and the 
        jurisdiction that the United States has under international law 
        over the outer Continental Shelf which appertains to it.''.

       TITLE II--APPROVAL OF TRANSBOUNDARY HYDROCARBON AGREEMENT

SEC. 201. APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO.

    The Agreement between the United States of America and the United 
Mexican States Concerning Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the 
Gulf of Mexico, signed at Los Cabos, February 20, 2012, is hereby 
approved.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 27, 2013.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.