I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1684 
To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act to impose penalties and provide for the recovery of removal 
costs and damages in connection with certain discharges of oil from 
foreign offshore units, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2015 
Mr. CURBELO of Florida (for himself, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. YOUNG 
of Alaska, Mr. SIRES, and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure 
A BILL 
To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act to impose penalties and 
provide for the recovery of removal costs and damages 
in connection with certain discharges of oil from foreign 
offshore units, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Foreign Spill Protec-
tion Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. LIABILITY OF OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF FOR-
EIGN OFFSHORE UNITS. 
Section 1002 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2702) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) FOREIGN OFFSHORE UNITS.—In any case in 
which there is a discharge, or substantial threat of dis-
charge, of oil from a foreign offshore unit that reaches 
or threatens to reach the navigable waters or adjoining 
shorelines or the exclusive economic zone, the owner or 
operator of the facility— 
‘‘(1) is liable for the removal costs and damages 
specified in subsection (b) that result from such inci-
dent; and 
‘‘(2) shall be treated as a responsible party with 
respect to the incident for the purposes of this Act 
in the same manner as a responsible party for an 
offshore facility.’’. 
SEC. 3. PENALTIES FOR DISCHARGE OF OIL FROM FOR-
EIGN OFFSHORE UNITS. 
Section 311(b) of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(b)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(13) FOREIGN OFFSHORE UNITS.— 
‘‘(A) DISCHARGES OF OIL REACHING NAVI-
GABLE WATERS.—In any case in which there is 
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a discharge of oil from a foreign offshore unit 
that reaches the navigable waters of the United 
States, adjoining shorelines, or waters of the 
contiguous zone— 
‘‘(i) the discharge shall be subject to 
the prohibition in paragraph (3); and 
‘‘(ii) the owner or operator of the unit 
shall be subject to the penalties established 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(B) 
FOREIGN
OFFSHORE
UNIT
DE-
FINED.—In this paragraph, the term ‘foreign 
offshore unit’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 1001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 
(33 U.S.C. 2701).’’. 
SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to a discharge, or substantial threat of discharge, 
of oil occurring after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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