I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6208 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 26, 2012 Mr. Farenthold introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To temporarily limit the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to require or authorize the removal or movement of offshore oil and gas facilities.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Retaining Essential Environmental Fishing Structures Act or the REEFS Act .

2.

Temporary limitation on authority to require or authorize removal or movement of offshore oil and gas facilities

(a)

In general

Except as provided in subsection (b), during the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act the Secretary of the Interior may not require or authorize the removal or movement of any facility used for oil or gas activities under a lease under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), notwithstanding any requirement under that Act, a lease under that Act, or any other Federal law. (b)

Exception

Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to removal or movement of a facility for purposes of temporary abandonment of a well in accordance with section 250.1721 of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) because of an emergency identified by the Secretary of the Interior. (c)

Facility defined

In this section the term facility as the meaning that term has under section 250.1700(c) of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act).