I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6728 
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide for an exemption 
to the manning and crewing requirements for certain outer Continental 
Shelf vessels, vehicles, and structures, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 15, 2022 
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. GARAMENDI) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 
and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide 
for an exemption to the manning and crewing require-
ments for certain outer Continental Shelf vessels, vehi-
cles, and structures, 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 ‘‘American Offshore 
Worker Fairness Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:49 Feb 22, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6728.IH
H6728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. MANNING AND CREWING REQUIREMENTS FOR CER-
TAIN OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF VESSELS, 
VEHICLES, AND STRUCTURES. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF
LIMITED
EXEMPTIONS 
FROM MANNING
AND CREW REQUIREMENT.—Section 
30(c) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 
U.S.C. 1356(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a period; 
(2) by striking ‘‘(c) The regulations issued 
under subsection (a)(3) of this section’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘to any vessel, rig, platform, or 
other vehicle or structure if’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) EXEMPTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The regulations issued 
under subsection (a)(3) shall not apply to any vessel, 
rig, platform, or other vehicle or structure if’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘the exploration, develop-
ment, or production of oil and gas’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘exploring for, developing, or producing re-
sources, 
including 
nonmineral 
energy 
re-
sources,’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘(2) to any vessel’’ and in-
serting the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:49 Feb 22, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6728.IH
H6728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) EXEMPTION
FOR
CERTAIN
FOREIGN- 
OWNED
VESSELS, RIGS, PLATFORMS, AND
OTHER 
VEHICLES OR STRUCTURES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to the re-
quirements of this paragraph, the regulations 
issued under subsection (a)(3) shall not apply 
to any vessel’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) CONDITION.—An exemption under 
subparagraph (A) shall be subject to the condi-
tion that each individual who is manning or 
crewing the vessel, rig, platform, or other vehi-
cle or structure is— 
‘‘(i) a citizen of the United States; 
‘‘(ii) an alien lawfully admitted to the 
United States for permanent residence; or 
‘‘(iii) a citizen of the nation under the 
laws of which the vessel, rig, platform, or 
other vehicle or structure is documented. 
‘‘(C) 
REQUIREMENTS.—An 
exemption 
under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(i) shall provide that the number of 
individuals manning or crewing the vessel, 
rig, platform, or other vehicle or structure 
who are individuals described in clause (ii) 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:49 Feb 22, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6728.IH
H6728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
or (iii) of subparagraph (B) may not ex-
ceed 2.5 times the number of individuals 
required to man or crew the vessel, rig, 
platform, or other vehicle or structure 
under the laws of the nation in which the 
vessel, rig, platform, or other vehicle or 
structure is documented; and 
‘‘(ii) subject to subparagraph (D), 
shall be effective for not more than 1 year. 
‘‘(D) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The owner or op-
erator of a vessel, rig, platform, or other 
vehicle or structure described in subpara-
graph (A) may submit to the Secretary of 
the department in which the Coast Guard 
is operating an application for an exemp-
tion or a renewal of an exemption under 
that subparagraph. 
‘‘(ii) 
CONTENTS.—An 
application 
under clause (i) shall include a sworn 
statement by the applicant of all informa-
tion required by the Secretary of the de-
partment in which the Coast Guard is op-
erating for the issuance of the exemption. 
‘‘(E) REVOCATIONS.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:49 Feb 22, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6728.IH
H6728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
the department in which the Coast Guard 
is operating may revoke an exemption for 
a vessel, rig, platform, or other vehicle or 
structure under subparagraph (A) if the 
Secretary of the department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating determines that 
information provided in the application for 
the exemption— 
‘‘(I) was false or incomplete; or 
‘‘(II) is no longer true or com-
plete. 
‘‘(ii) MANNING
OR
CREWING
VIOLA-
TION.—The Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating shall 
immediately revoke an exemption for a ves-
sel, rig, platform, or other vehicle or struc-
ture under subparagraph (A) if the Sec-
retary of the department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating determines that, 
during the effective period of the exemp-
tion, the vessel, rig, platform, or other ve-
hicle or structure was manned or crewed in 
a manner that— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:49 Feb 22, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6728.IH
H6728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS