Sponsors (38)
The bill strongly protects California's coastal environment and aligns federal policy with state climate goals at the cost of foregone offshore oil development — producing local environmental and tourism benefits while creating job, investment, supply‑risk, regulatory‑uncertainty, and fairness concerns for the energy sector and consumers.
Coastal residents, beachgoers, and marine-dependent businesses face a lower risk of offshore oil spills and related environmental damage because the bill prevents new offshore drilling near California, helping protect marine habitat and fisheries.
California state and local governments (and their climate policies) gain a stronger federal policy ally because the bill enacts an immediate limit on new offshore fossil fuel development off California.
Coastal tourism and recreation-dependent local economies may receive indirect economic and reputational benefits from reduced drilling-related risks, which can support small businesses reliant on clean beaches and healthy fisheries.
Energy companies, contractors, and workers lose opportunities for new offshore oil and gas leases off California, reducing potential jobs, investment, and economic activity in related sectors.
Households and regional markets could face higher fuel supply or price risks if reduced California offshore production increases reliance on other regions or imports.
An immediate statutory ban may create regulatory and legal uncertainty for the Department of the Interior, leaseholders, and investors, forcing planning and contract adjustments and potentially triggering litigation or administrative burdens.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permanently bans new oil and gas leasing and preleasing on the Outer Continental Shelf off California while preserving existing leases.
Official title: To permanently prohibit oil and gas leasing off the coast of the State of California, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Salud Carbajal · Last progress April 10, 2025
Prohibits all new oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities on portions of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, effective on enactment, while preserving rights under leases issued before the law. The amendment creates a permanent statutory ban on future leasing in the specified California OCS areas but does not cancel or alter existing leases issued prior to enactment.