I 

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. 

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 ‘‘Ocean Energy Safety 

5 and Technology Improvement Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PRIORITY IN PERMITTING FOR NEW SAFETY-EN2 HANCING TECHNOLOGIES. 

3 (a) EXPLORATION PLANS AND PERMITS.—Section 11 

4 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 

5 1340) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(g) In considering exploration plans and applica7 tions for permits and other authorizations required under 

8 this section, the Secretary may give priority to reviewing 

9 and processing plans and applications that use, develop, 

10 or demonstrate new safety-enhancing technologies.’’. 

11 (b) DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION PLANS AND

12 PERMITS.—Section 25 of such Act (43 U.S.C. 1351) is 

13 amended by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(m) In considering exploration plans and applica15 tions for permits and other authorizations required under 

16 this section, the Secretary may give priority to reviewing 

17 and processing plans and applications that use, develop, 

18 or demonstrate new safety-enhancing technologies.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM. 

20 The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 

21 1331 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol22 lowing: 

23 ‘‘SEC. 31. ESTABLISHMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM. 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

25 small business innovation research program or small busi26 ness technology transfer program, or both, in accordance 


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1 with this section to broaden participation by smaller in2 dustry participants in the development of safer tech3 nologies for offshore oil and gas exploration and develop4 ment. 

5 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section each of the terms 

6 ‘small business innovation research program’ and ‘small 

7 business technology transfer program’ has the meaning 

8 given such term in section 9(e) of the Small Business Act 

9 (15 U.S.C. 638(e)), as in effect on the date of the enact10 ment of the Ocean Energy Safety and Technology Im11 provement Act of 2013.’’. 

12 SEC. 4. OCEAN ENERGY SAFETY INSTITUTE. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Outer Continental Shelf 

14 Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) is further amended 

15 by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 32. OCEAN ENERGY SAFETY INSTITUTE. 

17 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab19 lish an independent Ocean Energy Safety Institute 

20 (in this section referred to as the ‘Institute’) to en21 hance safe and responsible operations across the off22 shore oil and gas industry. 

23 ‘‘(2) FORM.—The Secretary may establish the 

24 Institute as— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a federally funded research and devel2 opment center through an agreement in accord3 ance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 

4 35.017–1; or 

5 ‘‘(B) a university-affiliated research center 

6 managed by an institution of higher education. 

7 ‘‘(3) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall en8 sure that the Institute is a collaborative initiative in9 volving government, academia, and scientific experts. 

10 ‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS.—The Institute shall— 

11 ‘‘(1) develop a program of research, technical 

12 assistance, and education that serves as a center of 

13 expertise in oil and gas exploration, development, 

14 and production technology; 

15 ‘‘(2) provide a forum for dialogue, shared learn16 ing, and cooperative research among academia, gov17 ernment, industry, and other nongovernmental orga18 nizations, in offshore energy-related technologies and 

19 activities that ensure safe and environmentally re20 sponsible offshore oil and gas exploration, develop21 ment, and production operations; 

22 ‘‘(3) serve as a technical center that captures 

23 and preserves knowledge and experience to improve 

24 such operations; 


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1 ‘‘(4) provide recommendations and technical as2 sistance to the Secretary related to the determina3 tion of best available and safest technology and envi4 ronmentally sound offshore oil and gas development 

5 practices; 

6 ‘‘(5) evaluate design, test protocols, and test re7 sults on behalf of the Secretary to certify new best 

8 available and safest technologies for such operations 

9 that have health, safety, or environment ramifica10 tions; 

11 ‘‘(6) facilitate training of Federal workers on 

12 identification and verification of best available and 

13 safest technology, and implementation of operational 

14 improvements, in the areas of offshore drilling safety 

15 and environmental protection, blowout containment, 

16 and oil spill response; 

17 ‘‘(7) develop and maintain a domestic and 

18 international equipment failure reporting system and 

19 database of critical offshore oil and gas operations 

20 equipment failures related to well control; 

21 ‘‘(8) provide recommendations and technical as22 sistance related to geological and geophysical 

23 sciences relevant to understanding the technical 

24 challenges of offshore oil and gas operations; and 


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1 ‘‘(9) provide knowledgeable independent assess2 ments concerning technology maturity, suitability, 

3 and cost. 

4 ‘‘(c) FUNDING.— 

5 ‘‘(1) FEE.—The Secretary shall issue regula6 tions to establish an annual nonproducing lease fee 

7 with respect to areas of the outer Continental Shelf 

8 that are subject to a lease under this Act for produc9 tion of oil or natural gas under which production is 

10 not occurring. 

11 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—Such fee shall apply with 

12 respect to land that is subject to such a lease that 

13 is in effect on the date final regulations are promul14 gated under this subsection or that is issued there15 after. 

16 ‘‘(3) AMOUNT.—The amount of the fee shall be 

17 $1 for each acre of such land from which oil or nat18 ural gas is produced for less than 90 days in a cal19 endar year. 

20 ‘‘(4) ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION.—The Sec21 retary shall assess and collect the fee established 

22 under this subsection. 

23 ‘‘(5) USE.—Amounts received by the United 

24 States as the fee under this subsection may be used 

25 by the Secretary for operations of the Institute. 


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1 ‘‘(6) PREVENTING EVASION.—The Secretary 

2 may include in the regulations provisions to prevent 

3 evasion of the fee. 

4 ‘‘(d) REPORTING AND MEETINGS.—The Institute 

5 shall provide a report to the Secretary on all Institute ac6 tivities on a quarterly basis, and conduct an in-person 

7 meeting with the Secretary or the Secretary’s designees 

8 at least once each year.’’. 

9 (b) DEADLINE FOR FEE REGULATIONS.—The Sec10 retary of the Interior shall issue regulations establishing 

11 the fee under the amendment made by subsection (a) with12 in 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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