[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9759 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9759

To authorize the establishment of a program to combat oil theft in the 
                             Permian Basin.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2024

  Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the establishment of a program to combat oil theft in the 
                             Permian Basin.

    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 ``Protect the Permian Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PERMIAN BASIN OIL THEFT TASK FORCE.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigations is authorized to establish a program to combat oil theft 
in the Permian Basin to be carried out through the Permian Basin Oil 
Theft Task Force (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``task 
force'').
    (b) Coordination.--In carrying out the program established pursuant 
to subsection (a), the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations 
shall coordinate with the heads of relevant State, local, and Tribal 
law enforcement organizations.
    (c) Composition.--The task force shall consist of not fewer than 3 
employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, one of whom shall be 
the head of the task force, and may include such local, State, and 
tribal law enforcement partners as the Director of the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation determines appropriate.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act and annually thereafter, the task force shall submit to the 
President and relevant congressional committees a report on all task 
force activities, including--
            (1) the number of criminal charges brought and convictions 
        resulting from the task force's activities; and
            (2) a detailed account of all funds obligated for task 
        force operational and administrative costs.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $1,000,000 to carry out this section.
    (f) Relevant Congressional Committees.--For purposes of this 
section, the term ``relevant congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
            (2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (4) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives.

SEC. 3. ENHANCING CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

    (a) Interstate or Foreign Shipments by Carrier; State 
Prosecutions.--Section 659 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting after ``pipeline system'' the following: 
        ``or oil refinery or related asset'';
            (2) by striking ``one year'' and inserting ``5 years''; and
            (3) by striking ``10 years'' and inserting ``15 years''.
    (b) Transportation of Stolen Goods, Securities, Moneys, Fraudulent 
State Tax Stamps, or Articles Used in Counterfeiting.--Section 2314 of 
such title is amended--
            (1) by inserting after ``goods, wares, merchandise,'' the 
        following: ``oil, pipeline, oil and gas equipment or 
        technology,'';
            (2) by striking ``one year'' and inserting ``5 years''; and
            (3) by striking ``ten years'' and inserting ``15 years''.
    (c) Sale or Receipt of Stolen Goods, Securities, Moneys, or 
Fraudulent State Tax Stamps.--Section 2315 of such title is amended by 
striking ``ten years'' and inserting ``15 years''.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED USE OF BYRNE JAG FUNDS.

    Section 501(a)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10152(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(J) Programs to reduce or combat oil theft and 
                related crimes (including theft of pipes, technology, 
                equipment, or other assets related to oil refineries or 
                pipelines).''.
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