Sponsors (17)
The bill pauses new offshore leasing through mid-2032 to protect coastal communities, ecosystems, and local economies, at the cost of foregone energy development that could reduce jobs, raise energy costs slightly, and limit federal flexibility.
Coastal residents, beachfront homeowners, tourism-dependent communities, and commercial/recreational fisheries face a lower risk of oil spills, pollution, and industrial disturbance from offshore drilling through June 30, 2032, helping protect beaches, marine life, and local tourism revenue.
State and local governments and other stakeholders gain regulatory certainty from a clear federal pause on new offshore leasing and related activities through a fixed date, which helps planning and local policy stability.
Energy-sector workers, contractors, and firms with planned Gulf and South Atlantic projects face lost jobs, canceled contracts, delayed investment, and potentially unrecoverable sunk planning costs due to suspended offshore activity.
U.S. consumers and taxpayers may see modestly higher energy prices or greater reliance on other supply sources because the moratorium reduces potential domestic oil and gas production from the affected offshore areas.
Federal policymakers and national planners lose flexibility to pursue future offshore energy development or adopt new technologies in the barred areas during the moratorium, which could complicate responses to changing energy or security needs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits federal oil and gas leasing, leasing-related activities (including seismic testing), and permits in the Straits of Florida and southern South Atlantic planning areas through June 30, 2032.
Prohibits federal oil and gas leasing, leasing-related activities (including seismic testing and preleasing) and the issuance of exploration permits in the Straits of Florida Planning Area and in parts of the South Atlantic Planning Area south of Florida’s northernmost seaward boundary, from enactment through June 30, 2032. It also adjusts cross-references in the Gulf of Mexico moratorium language to extend or clarify statutory protections around Florida.
Official title: To provide for a moratorium on oil and gas leasing and exploration on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Florida until 2032, and for other purposes.
Introduced November 17, 2025 by John Henry Rutherford · Last progress November 17, 2025