H.R. 5745, the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act, advanced out of committee on September 15, 2026.
H.R. 5745 — Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act
What it does
This bill allows oil and gas companies to leave inactive offshore platforms and pipelines in place on the ocean floor and designate them as artificial reefs instead of removing them, provided they meet environmental and safety standards. The company can save money by avoiding full removal costs, and states can take over liability for the structures in exchange for a share of those savings. The bill creates a multi-year approval process and temporarily blocks the federal government from ordering removal while applications are pending.
Quorum's transparency scan gave Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act a high transparency warning.
What happens next
H.R. 5745 advanced out of committee. Next stop: a floor vote.
Who is behind it
Filed by Mike Ezell. Cosponsored by Barry Moore, Cleo Fields, Eugene Vindman and Marc Veasey.
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