I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1613 
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide for the proper 
Federal management and oversight of transboundary hydrocarbon res-
ervoirs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2013 
Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, 
and Mr. SALMON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on 
Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide 
for the proper Federal management and oversight of 
transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Outer Continental 
Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Author-
ization Act’’. 
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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 fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 32. TRANSBOUNDARY HYDROCARBON AGREEMENTS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary may imple-
ment the terms of any transboundary hydrocarbon agree-
ment for the management of transboundary hydrocarbon 
reservoirs entered into by the President and approved by 
Congress. In implementing such an agreement, the Sec-
retary 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 Conti-
nental 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 
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hydrocarbon agreement that does not constitute a 
treaty in the judgment of the President shall be sub-
mitted by the Secretary to— 
‘‘(A) the Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives; 
‘‘(B) the Majority Leader of the Senate; 
‘‘(C) the Chair of the Committee on Nat-
ural Resources of the House of Representatives; 
and 
‘‘(D) the Chair of the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF SUBMISSION.—The submis-
sion shall include— 
‘‘(A) any amendments to this Act or other 
Federal law necessary to implement the agree-
ment; 
‘‘(B) an analysis of the economic impacts 
such an agreement and any amendments neces-
sitated by the agreement will have on domestic 
exploration, development, and production of hy-
drocarbon resources on the outer Continental 
Shelf; and 
‘‘(C) a detailed description of any regula-
tions expected to be issued by the Secretary to 
implement the agreement. 
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‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC TRANSBOUND-
ARY AGREEMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) MEXICO.—The Secretary may take actions 
as necessary to implement the terms of the Agree-
ment 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, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(A) approving unitization agreements and 
related agreements for the exploration, develop-
ment, or production of oil and natural gas from 
transboundary reservoirs or geological struc-
tures; 
‘‘(B) making available, in the limited man-
ner necessary under the agreement and subject 
to the protections of confidentiality provided by 
the agreement, information relating to the ex-
ploration, development, and production of oil 
and natural gas from a transboundary reservoir 
or geological structure that may otherwise be 
considered confidential, privileged, or propri-
etary information under law; 
‘‘(C) taking actions consistent with an ex-
pert determination under the agreement, pro-
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vided that the expert determination proceedings 
were open to the public to the greatest extent 
practicable; and 
‘‘(D) ensuring that agents of a foreign gov-
ernment may not stop work or interfere with 
exploration, development, or production activi-
ties as approved by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) CANADA.— 
‘‘(3) RUSSIA.— 
‘‘(4) BAHAMAS.— 
‘‘(5) BERMUDA.— 
‘‘(d) EXEMPTION FROM RESOURCES EXTRACTION 
REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Actions taken by a public 
company in accordance with any transboundary hydro-
carbon agreement shall not constitute the commercial de-
velopment 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 produc-
tion of hydrocarbon resources in the Gulf of Mexico 
along the United States maritime border with Cuba 
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