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H.R. 3404: 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.

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H.R. 3404: 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.

112th Congress · introduced 2011-11-14 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 436.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-11-14 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Hastings, Doc [R-WA-4] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 436. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

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.

Plain summary

(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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

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.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s))

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Hastings, Doc [R-WA-4] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Agencies named in this bill

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr3404 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112