HR 5716 PCS
‘‘(C) a summary of ongoing and planned 
activities aimed at improving operational safety 
and reducing potential environmental impacts 
of exploration and production.’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) RESEARCH FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDA-
TIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall 
publish in the Federal Register an annual report on 
the research findings of the program carried out 
under this section and any recommendations for im-
plementation that the Secretary determines to be 
necessary.’’; 
(7) in subsection (f)(2), by inserting ‘‘In car-
rying out this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure 
that safety and accident prevention and mitigation 
be regularly included as specific focus areas for so-
licitations.’’ after ‘‘consortium.’’; 
(8) in subsection (i)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY’’ and 
inserting ‘‘DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘, through the United 
States Geological Survey,’’; and 
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(9) in subsection (j), by striking ‘‘National En-
ergy Technology Laboratory’’ and inserting ‘‘Office 
of Fossil Energy of the Department’’. 
SEC. 4. PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
Section 999D of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16374) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 999D. PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of the Safer Oil and Natural Gas 
Drilling Technology Research and Development Act, the 
Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to be 
known as the ‘Program Advisory Committee’ (referred to 
in this section as the ‘Advisory Committee’). 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Committee 
shall be composed of members appointed by the Sec-
retary, each of whom shall be qualified by education, 
training, and experience to evaluate scientific and 
technical information relevant to the research, devel-
opment, and demonstration under this subtitle. 
Members shall include— 
‘‘(A) individuals with extensive research 
experience or operational knowledge of oil and 
natural gas exploration and production; 
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‘‘(B) individuals broadly representative of 
the affected interests in oil and natural gas pro-
duction, including interests in environmental 
protection and operational safety; 
‘‘(C) State regulatory agency representa-
tives; and 
‘‘(D) other individuals, as determined by 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall not include individuals who are 
board members, officers, or employees of the 
program consortium. 
‘‘(B) CATEGORICAL REPRESENTATION.—In 
appointing members of the Advisory Committee, 
the Secretary shall ensure that no class of indi-
viduals described in any of subparagraphs (B), 
(C), or (D) of paragraph (1) comprises more 
than 1⁄3 of the membership of the Advisory 
Committee. 
‘‘(c) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Advisory Committee 
may establish subcommittees or ad hoc working groups for 
the research focus areas described in section 999B(d)(7). 
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The Advisory Committee shall— 
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‘‘(1) advise the Secretary on the development 
and implementation of programs under this subtitle; 
and 
‘‘(2) carry out section 999B(e)(2)(B). 
‘‘(e) COMPENSATION.—A member of the Advisory 
Committee shall serve without compensation but shall be 
entitled to receive travel expenses in accordance with sub-
chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(f) PROHIBITION.—The Advisory Committee shall 
not make recommendations on funding awards to par-
ticular consortia or other entities, or for specific 
projects.’’. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 999G of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16377) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘200 but less 
than 1,500 meters’’ and inserting ‘‘1,000 feet’’; 
(2) by striking paragraphs (8), (9), and (10); 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 
(7) and (11) as paragraphs (4) through (9) and 
(10), respectively; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) DEEPWATER ARCHITECTURE.—The term 
‘deepwater architecture’ means the integration of 
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technologies for the safe and environmentally re-
sponsible exploration for, or production of, natural 
gas or other petroleum resources located at deep-
water depths. 
‘‘(3) DEEPWATER
TECHNOLOGY.—The term 
‘deepwater technology’ means a discrete technology 
that is specially suited to address 1 or more chal-
lenges associated with the safe and environmentally 
responsible exploration for, or production of, natural 
gas or other petroleum resources located at deep-
water depths.’’. 
SEC. 6. FUNDING. 
Section 999H of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16378) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of subsection (a) by 
striking ‘‘Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Nat-
ural Gas and Other Petroleum Research Fund’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Tech-
nology Research and Development Fund’’; 
(2) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘35 per-
cent’’ and inserting ‘‘32.5 percent’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘32.5 
percent’’ and inserting ‘‘25 percent’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘25 percent’’ and in-
serting ‘‘35 percent’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘contract manage-
ment,’’ and all that follows through the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘and contract 
management.’’; 
(3) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘Ultra-Deep-
water and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other 
Petroleum Research Fund’’ and inserting ‘‘Safer Oil 
and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and 
Development Fund’’; and 
(4) at the end of the section, by inserting the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(g) COORDINATION
AND NONDUPLICATION.—The 
Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, 
that the research activities carried out by the consortium 
funded under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection 
(d), and the research activities carried out by the Depart-
ment of Energy as funded by subsection (d)(4), shall be 
coordinated and not duplicative of one another.’’. 
SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
The table of contents of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 is amended— 
(1) by amending the item relating to subtitle J 
of title IX to read as follows: 
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‘‘Subtitle J—Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and 
Development Program’’; 
(2) by amending the item relating to section 
999B to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 999B. Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and De-
velopment Program.’’; 
and 
(3) by amending the item relating to section 
999D to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 999D. Program Advisory Committee.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 21, 2010. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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Calendar No. 517 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5716 
AN ACT 
To provide for enhancement of existing efforts in 
support of research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities to advance 
technologies for the safe and environmentally re-
sponsible exploration, development, and produc-
tion of oil and natural gas resources. 
AUGUST 5, 2010 
Read twice and placed on the calendar 
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