I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1430 
To extend the seaward boundaries of certain States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 9, 2013 
Mr. CASSIDY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To extend the seaward boundaries of certain States, 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 ‘‘Offshore Fairness 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COAST LINE.—The term ‘‘coast line’’ means 
the line of ordinary low water along the portion of 
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the coast which is in direct contact with the open 
sea and the line marking the seaward limit of inland 
waters, as in existence on the day that is 1 day be-
fore the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) EXISTING INTEREST.—The term ‘‘existing 
interest’’ means any lease, easement, right of use, or 
right-of-way on, or for any natural resources or min-
erals, underlying, expanded submerged land that is 
in existence on the date of conveyance of the ex-
panded submerged land. 
(3) EXPANDED
SEAWARD
BOUNDARY.—The 
term ‘‘expanded seaward boundary’’ means the 
boundary of a State that is 3 marine leagues sea-
ward of the coast line of the State. 
(4) EXPANDED SUBMERGED LAND.—The term 
‘‘expanded submerged land’’ means the area of the 
outer Continental Shelf that is located between the 
point that is 3 miles seaward of the coast line of a 
State and the point that is 3 marine leagues sea-
ward of the coast line of the State. 
(5) INTEREST
OWNER.—The term ‘‘interest 
owner’’ means any person holding an existing inter-
est or a portion of an existing interest. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
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(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 
the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and 
Virginia. 
SEC. 3. SEAWARD BOUNDARIES OF CERTAIN STATES. 
(a) SEAWARD BOUNDARIES.—Section 4 of the Sub-
merged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1312) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The’’ at the beginning and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except for the States described 
in subsection (b), the’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) SEAWARD BOUNDARIES OF CERTAIN COASTAL 
STATES.—Subject to subsection (a), the seaward bound-
ary of each of the following States shall be a line 3 marine 
leagues distant from the coast line of the State as of the 
date that is 1 day before the date of enactment of the 
Offshore Fairness Act: 
‘‘(1) Alabama. 
‘‘(2) Florida. 
‘‘(3) Georgia. 
‘‘(4) Louisiana. 
‘‘(5) Mississippi. 
‘‘(6) North Carolina. 
‘‘(7) South Carolina. 
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(2) at the request of a State, convey to the ap-
plicable State the interest of the United States in 
and to the expanded submerged land. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—On conveyance under sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall transfer to the Governor 
of the State the authority to exercise the powers and du-
ties of the Secretary under the terms of any existing inter-
est, subject to the condition that the State— 
(1) shall not impose any burdens or require-
ments on an interest owner that would be stricter 
than any burdens or requirements imposed under 
Federal law; and 
(2) shall not impose any administrative or judi-
cial penalty or sanction on an interest owner that is 
more severe than any administrative or judicial pen-
alty or sanction under current Federal law. 
(c) LIABILITY.—As a condition of accepting the con-
veyance, the State shall agree to indemnify the United 
States from any liability to any interest owner for the tak-
ing of a property interest or breach of contract arising 
from— 
(1) the conveyance of the expanded submerged 
land to the State; or 
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(2) the administration by the State of any exist-
ing interest on or underlying the expanded sub-
merged land. 
SEC. 5. EFFECT. 
(a) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subsections (b) 
through (e), this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act shall not affect any valid existing right in and to the 
expanded submerged land. 
(b) SUBMERGED LAND.—Submerged land within the 
seaward boundaries of a State (as extended by the amend-
ments made by this Act) shall be— 
(1) subject to Federal oil and gas mineral 
rights to the extent provided by law; 
(2) considered to be part of the Federal outer 
Continental Shelf for purposes of the Outer Conti-
nental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.); 
and 
(3) subject to— 
(A) leasing under the authority of that 
Act; 
(B) the distribution of revenues under sec-
tion 
8(g)(2) 
of 
that 
Act 
(43 
U.S.C. 
1337(g)(2)); and 
(C) any other laws applicable to the leasing 
of the oil and gas resources of the Federal 
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outer Continental Shelf, including the Gulf of 
Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 
1331 note; Public Law 109–432). 
(c) EXISTING LEASES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 
this Act shall not affect any Federal oil and gas 
lease in effect on the date of conveyance under sec-
tion 4. 
(2) DIVIDED LEASES.—If the conveyance under 
section 4 results in a division of a Federal oil and 
gas lease that is in existence on the date of convey-
ance, the conveyance of the portion of the expanded 
submerged land that is covered by the lease shall not 
take effect until the date that is 1 day after the date 
that the lease expires or terminates. 
(d) FUTURE INTERESTS.—This section shall not 
apply to any interest in the expanded submerged land that 
is granted by the State after the date on which the land 
is conveyed to the State under section 4. 
(e) TAXATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 
State may exercise all of the sovereign powers of 
taxation of the State within the entire extent of the 
seaward boundaries of the State (as extended by the 
amendments made by this Act). 
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(2) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this subsection 
affects the authority of a State to tax any Federal 
oil and gas lease in effect on the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 6. FISHERY MANAGEMENT RIGHTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce shall 
grant to each State exclusive fishery management author-
ity over reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic 
Ocean in the expanded submerged land. 
(b) TEMPORARY ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the authority 
granted under subsection (a) and subject to para-
graph (2), the Secretary of Commerce shall grant to 
each State exclusive fishery management authority 
over the red snapper fish (lutjanus campechanus), in 
the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean in the 
area of the outer Continental Shelf that is located 
between the expanded seaward boundary of a State 
and the point that is 200 miles seaward of the coast 
line of the State, consistent with the jurisdictional 
limit of the exclusive economic zone. 
(2) TERM.—The authority under paragraph (1) 
shall remain in effect for any State until the date on 
which the Governor of that State has certified to the 
Secretary of Commerce, in writing, that the Gov-
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ernor is confident that the stock assessments of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
for the red snapper fish (lutjanus campechanus) 
within the authority of the State, as established by 
this Act, are— 
(A) accurate; and 
(B) based on sound science. 
Æ 
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