oil and gas platform or other facility to another person 
unless the Secretary is satisfied that the transferee is suf-
ficiently bonded, endowed, or otherwise financially able to 
fulfill its obligations, including but not limited to— 
‘‘(1) ongoing maintenance of the platform or 
other facility; 
‘‘(2) any liability obligations that might arise; 
‘‘(3) removal of the platform or other facility if 
determined necessary by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(4) any other requirements and obligations 
that the Secretary may deem appropriate by regula-
tion. 
‘‘(c) PLUGGING
AND
ABANDONMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that plugging and abandonment of 
wells is accomplished at an appropriate time. 
‘‘(d) POTENTIAL TO PETITION TO OPT-OUT OF REG-
ULATIONS.—An Adjacent State acting through a resolu-
tion of its legislature, with concurrence of its Governor, 
may preliminarily petition to opt-out of the application of 
regulations promulgated under this section to platforms 
and other facilities located in the area of its Adjacent Zone 
within 12 miles of the coastline. Upon receipt of the pre-
liminary petition, the Secretary shall complete an environ-
mental assessment that documents the anticipated envi-
ronmental effects of approving the petition. The Secretary 
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shall provide the environmental assessment to the State, 
which then has the choice of no action or confirming its 
petition by further action of its legislature, with the con-
currence of its Governor. The Secretary is authorized to 
except such area from the application of such regulations, 
and shall approve any confirmed petition. 
‘‘(e) LIMITATION ON LIABILITY.—A person that had 
used an offshore oil and gas platform or other facility for 
oil and gas purposes and that no longer has any ownership 
or control of the platform or other facility shall not be 
liable under Federal law for any costs or damages arising 
from such platform or other facility after the date the plat-
form or other facility is used for any purpose under sub-
section (a), unless such costs or damages arise from— 
‘‘(1) use of the platform or other facility by the 
person for development or production of oil or gas; 
or 
‘‘(2) another act or omission of the person. 
‘‘(f) OTHER LEASING AND USE NOT AFFECTED.— 
This section, and the use of any offshore oil and gas plat-
form or other facility for any purpose under subsection 
(a), shall not affect— 
‘‘(1) the authority of the Secretary to lease any 
area under this Act; or 
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‘‘(2) any activity otherwise authorized under 
this Act.’’. 
(c) DEADLINE FOR REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of 
the Interior shall issue regulations under subsection (b) 
by not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(d) STUDY AND REPORT ON EFFECTS OF REMOVAL 
OF PLATFORMS.—Not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, 
in consultation with other Federal agencies as the Sec-
retary deems advisable, shall study and report to the Con-
gress regarding how the removal of offshore oil and gas 
platforms and other facilities from the outer Continental 
Shelf would affect existing fish stocks and coral popu-
lations. 
SEC. 20. OCS REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS. 
Not later than July 1, 2011, the Secretary of the In-
terior shall establish the headquarters for the Atlantic 
OCS Region and the headquarters for the Pacific OCS 
Region within a State bordering the Atlantic OCS Region 
and a State bordering the Pacific OCS Region, respec-
tively, from among the States bordering those Regions, 
that petitions by no later than January 1, 2011, for leas-
ing, for oil and gas or natural gas, covering at least 40 
percent of the area of its Adjacent Zone within 75 miles 
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of the coastline. Such Atlantic and Pacific OCS Regions 
headquarters shall be located within 25 miles of the coast-
line and each Minerals Management Service OCS regional 
headquarters shall be the permanent duty station for all 
Minerals Management Service personnel that on a daily 
basis spend on average 60 percent or more of their time 
in performance of duties in support of the activities of the 
respective Region, except that the Minerals Management 
Service may house regional inspection staff in other loca-
tions. Each OCS Region shall each be led by a Regional 
Director who shall be an employee within the Senior Exec-
utive Service. 
SEC. 21. OIL SHALE AND TAR SANDS AMENDMENTS. 
(a) ROYALTY RATES FOR LEASES.—Section 369(o) 
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–58; 
119 Stat. 728; 42 U.S.C. 15927) is amended by desig-
nating the existing language as (1), by redesignating the 
existing (1) and (2) as (A) and (B), respectively, and by 
adding a new paragraph (2), as follows: 
‘‘(2) DEFAULT PROVISIONS.—In the absence of 
the issuance of regulations or other designation by 
the Secretary, the following shall be the royalties, 
fees, rentals, bonus provisions and other payments 
for research, development and demonstration leases, 
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