The Plug Offshore Wells Act would increase oversight of offshore oil and gas wells and help prevent taxpayers from being stuck with cleanup costs. The bill would: Require annual reporting on offshore oil and gas well cleanup to track whether companies are meeting their responsibilities and identify potential costs to taxpayers.
Require annual reporting on offshore oil and gas well cleanup to ensure companies meet their obligations and limit taxpayer cleanup costs.
Occurrences
Evidence
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Dexter's office announced a three-bill oil accountability package and said the Plug Offshore Wells Act would require annual reporting on offshore oil and gas well cleanup to track company responsibilities and potential taxpayer costs.
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GovInfo bill text for H.R. 8099 shows Dexter introduced the Plug Offshore Wells Act on March 26, 2026; it was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. The bill would require Interior to submit and publicly post annual reports on decommissioning offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines, including overdue decommissioning and enforcement actions.
Assessments
Dexter introduced H.R. 8099, the Plug Offshore Wells Act, in the 119th Congress, and its text closely matches the promise by requiring annual public Interior Department reporting on offshore oil and gas decommissioning obligations, overdue cleanup, enforcement, and taxpayer exposure. However, the record provided shows only introduction and referral to the House Committee on Natural Resources, plus a later office announcement, with no enactment or implemented reporting requirement. This is a serious same-term legislative attempt but not delivery of the promised outcome.