I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1393 

To reform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement and offshore drilling for oil and gas, to repeal the limitation 

of liability of a responsible party for discharge of oil from an offshore 

facility, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2011 

Mr. BUCHANAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 reform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement and offshore drilling for oil and 

gas, to repeal the limitation of liability of a responsible 

party for discharge of oil from an offshore facility, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Oil Spill Prevention 

5 Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REFORM OF BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGE2 MENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT. 

3 (a) DRUG TESTING.—The Secretary of the Interior 

4 shall issue regulations that require each employee of the 

5 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 

6 Enforcement to be subjected to random testing for the use 

7 of a controlled substance in violation of law or a United 

8 States Government regulation not less than 2 times each 

9 year. 

10 (b) EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTION.—During the 2-year 

11 period beginning on the date of departure of an individual 

12 from employment by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Man13 agement, Regulation and Enforcement, the individual may 

14 not be employed by any person conducting any activity 

15 under a lease or permit issued by the Bureau of Ocean 

16 Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement or sub17 ject to regulation by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage18 ment, Regulation and Enforcement. 

19 SEC. 3. OVERSIGHT OF PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS. 

20 (a) MONTHLY INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte22 rior, acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy 

23 Management, Regulation and Enforcement, shall in24 spect each month each vessel and facility used for 

25 drilling for oil and gas on the outer Continental 

26 Shelf. 


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1 (2) RESCHEDULING OF MISSED INSPECTION.— 

2 If for any reason the Secretary does not conduct a 

3 monthly inspection under this subsection, the Sec4 retary shall conduct the inspection within 14 days 

5 after the date on which it was scheduled to be con6 ducted. 

7 (b) PROHIBITION ON CATEGORICAL EXEMPTIONS.— 

8 The Secretary of the Interior may not exempt any cat9 egory of activity by a vessel or facility engaged in drilling 

10 for oil or gas on the outer Continental Shelf in waters 

11 deeper than 1,000 feet from any requirement or restriction 

12 that applies with respect to that activity under Federal 

13 law. 

14 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF RESPON15 SIBLE PARTY FOR DISCHARGE OF OIL FROM 

16 AN OFFSHORE FACILITY. 

17 (a) REPEAL.—Section 1004(a) of the Oil Pollution 

18 Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2704(a)) is amended by— 

19 (1) inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the 

20 end of paragraph (2); 

21 (2) striking paragraph (3); and 

22 (3) redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 

23 (3). 


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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 subsection (a) take effect on April 15, 2010. 

Æ 


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