Sponsors (24)
The bill permanently protects Southern California coastal communities and marine ecosystems and gives local planners regulatory certainty, but it forgoes regional oil development benefits—costing some local energy jobs and lease revenues and risking displacement of fossil-fuel activity elsewhere.
Coastal communities and residents (including urban and rural coastal populations) will face a reduced risk of offshore oil spills and related health and environmental harms because the bill permanently prevents new federal leasing in the area.
Coastal ecosystems, fisheries, and tourism-dependent communities near Southern California will have protected habitats and preserved marine resources due to the ban on future drilling in the offshore area.
Local governments and coastal economies gain regulatory certainty for planning and development because the bill permanently closes the area to new federal OCS leasing.
Energy-sector and construction workers in the region may lose potential jobs, contracts, and local economic activity because new offshore leasing and associated development are foreclosed.
Taxpayers and state/federal budgets lose some future revenue and lease-related receipts because oil and gas lease sales in the closed area can no longer generate federal/state revenue.
Communities elsewhere could see increased development pressure or emissions if offshore activity shifts to other areas or if onshore production expands, potentially offsetting some climate or emissions benefits locally.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permanently bars new federal oil and gas leases and authorizations in the Southern California OCS planning area defined in the 2024–2029 Program.
Official title: To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil and gas leasing in the Southern California Planning Area, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Mike Levin · Last progress April 10, 2025
Prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing any new federal leases or authorizations for exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in the Southern California Outer Continental Shelf planning area defined in the 2024–2029 OCS Leasing Proposed Final Program. The prohibition is permanent and applies notwithstanding any other law, effectively banning new federal offshore oil and gas leasing or authorizations in that planning area.