[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1393 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1393

    To reform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 
   Enforcement and offshore drilling for oil and gas, to repeal the 
  limitation of liability of a responsible party for discharge of oil 
           from an offshore facility, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2011

 Mr. Buchanan 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 reform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 
   Enforcement and offshore drilling for oil and gas, to repeal the 
  limitation of liability of a responsible party for discharge of oil 
           from an offshore facility, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. REFORM OF BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND 
              ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Drug Testing.--The Secretary of the Interior shall issue 
regulations that require each employee of the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Regulation and Enforcement to be subjected to random 
testing for the use of a controlled substance in violation of law or a 
United States Government regulation not less than 2 times each year.
    (b) Employment Restriction.--During the 2-year period beginning on 
the date of departure of an individual from employment by the Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, the individual may 
not be employed by any person conducting any activity under a lease or 
permit issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 
Enforcement or subject to regulation by the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

SEC. 3. OVERSIGHT OF PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS.

    (a) Monthly Inspection Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
        through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 
        Enforcement, shall inspect each month each vessel and facility 
        used for drilling for oil and gas on the outer Continental 
        Shelf.
            (2) Rescheduling of missed inspection.--If for any reason 
        the Secretary does not conduct a monthly inspection under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall conduct the inspection within 
        14 days after the date on which it was scheduled to be 
        conducted.
    (b) Prohibition on Categorical Exemptions.--The Secretary of the 
Interior may not exempt any category of activity by a vessel or 
facility engaged in drilling for oil or gas on the outer Continental 
Shelf in waters deeper than 1,000 feet from any requirement or 
restriction that applies with respect to that activity under Federal 
law.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR 
              DISCHARGE OF OIL FROM AN OFFSHORE FACILITY.

    (a) Repeal.--Section 1004(a) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2704(a)) is amended by--
            (1) inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the end of 
        paragraph (2);
            (2) striking paragraph (3); and
            (3) redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (3).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) take 
effect on April 15, 2010.
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