Sponsors (37)
The bill permanently shields several Atlantic and Straits of Florida offshore areas from future oil and gas leasing to protect coasts, marine life, and fisheries, but in doing so reduces potential domestic energy development, jobs, and future lease revenues and limits policymaker flexibility.
Coastal communities, beachgoers, and the public: bans new offshore oil and gas leasing in the North Atlantic, Mid‑Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida, reducing the risk of oil spills and protecting beaches, marine habitats, and sensitive species.
Commercial and recreational fishers, small coastal businesses, and tourism operators: preserves marine habitats that support fish stocks and recreational opportunities by blocking new offshore development in the barred planning areas, helping sustain local fisheries and coastal economies.
Federal, state, and local governments and stakeholders: creates clear statutory prohibition on future leasing in these areas, providing long-term certainty about where offshore oil and gas development will not occur.
Energy companies and workers: blocks potential offshore projects that could have produced jobs, contracts, and economic activity for drillship operators, rig crews, and construction workers tied to offshore development.
Consumers and broader energy markets: reduces the geographic area available for future domestic offshore production, which could modestly limit long-term domestic supply options and put upward pressure on prices or affect reliability over time.
State and local governments and communities: eliminates the possibility of future lease revenue and royalties from the barred areas, reducing potential long‑term revenue streams for some coastal states and localities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Frank Pallone · Last progress April 10, 2025
Bars the federal government from issuing leases or any other authorizations for exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in four Atlantic and Florida offshore planning areas (North Atlantic, Mid‑Atlantic, South Atlantic, and the Straits of Florida). The restriction is written as a statutory prohibition that overrides other laws, and it does not create new funding or programs.