What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is a subdivision of the Department of the Interior responsible for overseeing the safe and environmentally responsible development of the nation's offshore energy resources. The agency enforces safety and environmental regulations, conducts inspections, and ensures compliance with federal laws to prevent oil spills and other hazards. It also promotes the use of best practices and technologies to enhance safety and environmental protection. It was established in 2011.

In FY 2025,

$14M

was spent by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of Dept. of the Interior spending was by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

How much does the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement spend?

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement spent a net total of $14 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.062% of the $22.4 billion spent by the Department of the Interior, which itself was 0.3% of all federal spending. The BSEE ranked 14th among DOI subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement ranked 14th among Department of the Interior divisions in net spending in 2025.

DOI net spending by division, FY 2025

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s federal spending has increased from $10.3 million in 2010 to $14 million in 2025.

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The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 2010.

Yearly federal net spending by BSEE, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 2010–2025

Since 2010, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's spending has increased 35.9%, while overall spending has increased 37.5%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. BSEE spending grew less than overall federal spending since 2010, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, BSEE accounted for 0.0002% of overall federal spending.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 2010.

Net spending by BSEE as a share of federal spending, FYs 2010–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, all of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net BSEE spending.

How did the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to BSEE, FY 2025

Some 535 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement as of May 2026. This is 18.2% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has decreased 18.2% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for BSEE, May 2012–2026

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement accounts for 0.026% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.031%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s share of the workforce (0.026%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0002%).

Who leads the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement?

The BSEE is led by a director. This individual is appointed by the president of the United States and does not require Senate confirmation. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.