To establish in the Department of the Interior an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals and a Bureau of Ocean Energy, an Ocean Energy Safety Service, and an Office of Natural Resources Revenue, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-hr-3404
Sponsor: Rep. Hastings, Doc [R-WA-4]
Introduced: 2011-11-14 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Alternative and renewable resources
Department of the Interior
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Energy revenues and royalties
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Labor-management relations
Licensing and registrations
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Mining
Oil and gas
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-14
text: 
Establishes in the Department of the Interior: (1) an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals; (2) an Assistant Secretary of Ocean Energy and Safety; (3) an Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management; (4) a Bureau of Ocean Energy (Bureau), with a comprehensive program of offshore mineral and renewable energy resources management; (5) an Ocean Energy Safety Service, administering safety and environmental enforcement activities related to offshore mineral and renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); and (6) an Office of Natural Resources Revenue (Office), with all functions, powers, and duties previously assigned to the Minerals Management Service regarding offshore royalty and revenue management. 
 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) establish and maintain a National Offshore Energy Health and Safety Academy as an agency of the Ocean Energy Safety Service, and (2) develop and maintain adequate programs to provide for the continuing education of certain Department of the Interior personnel.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) certify annually that all Department personnel having regular, direct official contact with government contractors, or conducting investigations, issuing permits, or overseeing energy programs, comply fully with federal employee ethics laws and regulations; and (3) conduct a random drug testing program of such personnel. 
 
Abolishes the Minerals Management Service. 
 
Directs the Secretary to establish an Outer Continental Shelf Energy Safety Advisory Board. 

action_date: 2012-07-17
text: 
 (Sec. 1) Establishes in the Department of the Interior: (1) an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals; (2) an Assistant Secretary of Ocean Energy and Safety; (3) an Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management; (4) a Bureau of Ocean Energy (Bureau), with a comprehensive program of offshore mineral and renewable energy resources management; (5) an Ocean Energy Safety Service, administering safety and environmental enforcement activities related to offshore mineral and renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); and (6) an Office of Natural Resources Revenue (Office), with all functions, powers, and duties previously assigned to the Minerals Management Service regarding offshore royalty and revenue management.
 
Prohibits Ocean Energy Safety Service personnel conducting permitting or inspections from either participating in a strike or asserting the right to strike.
 
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) establish and maintain a National Offshore Energy Health and Safety Academy as an agency of the Ocean Energy Safety Service to train newly hired and experienced offshore oil and gas inspectors in all aspects of health, safety, environmental, and operational inspections; and (2) develop and maintain adequate programs to provide for the continuing education of certain Department of the Interior personnel.
 
 (Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary to: (1) certify annually that all Department personnel having regular, direct official contact with government contractors, or conducting investigations, issuing permits, or overseeing energy programs, comply fully with federal employee ethics laws and regulations; (2) conduct a random drug testing program of such personnel, and (3) issue supplementary ethics and drug testing guidance for employees for which certification is required. 
 
 (Sec. 6) Abolishes the Minerals Management Service.
 
 (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to establish an Outer Continental Shelf Energy Safety Advisory Board to: (1) give independent scientific and technical advice on safe, responsible, and timely mineral and renewable energy exploration, development, and production activities; (2) review operations of the National Offshore Energy Health and Safety Academy; and (3) assess every five years, for the Secretary and certain congressional committees, offshore oil and gas well control technologies, practices, voluntary standards, and regulations.
 
(Sec. 9) Requires the Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals, in administering the programs and authorities under this Act, to implement a hiring preference for eligible veterans and disabled veterans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-07-17
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 436.
action_date: 2012-07-17
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 112-601.
action_date: 2012-07-17
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 112-601.
action_date: 2011-11-17
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 28 - 14.
action_date: 2011-11-17
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2011-11-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-11-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-11-14
text: Introduced in House