Sponsors (40)
The bill permanently protects West Coast coastal communities and ocean ecosystems and reduces spill risk, but does so at the cost of foregone local jobs and federal/state lease revenue and may shift environmental or energy impacts elsewhere.
Coastal communities and ocean ecosystems along the West Coast (Washington, Oregon, California) gain permanent protection from new offshore oil and gas drilling in four federal planning areas.
Fisheries, tourism, and local economies in Washington, Oregon, and California face reduced risk of oil spills and associated economic losses.
Local governments and coastal planners gain clearer, more certain regulatory conditions because the bill permanently bars new Outer Continental Shelf leasing in the specified West Coast areas.
Workers and businesses tied to offshore oil development in the four planning areas lose potential jobs and revenue from new lease opportunities.
Federal and state governments forgo potential lease revenue and royalties that could have funded public services or infrastructure.
Oil and gas development pressure could shift to other regions, potentially increasing emissions or environmental risks elsewhere.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Statutorily bans any federal lease or authorization for oil or natural gas exploration, development, or production in the four West Coast OCS planning areas.
Official title: To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Jared Huffman · Last progress April 10, 2025
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from issuing any lease or other authorization for exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in the four Outer Continental Shelf planning areas off the U.S. West Coast (Washington/Oregon, Northern California, Central California, and Southern California). The ban is absolute and applies notwithstanding any other law or provision of 43 U.S.C. § 1337. The bill does not appropriate funds, create new programs, or amend other statutes beyond adding this prohibition; it simply adds a statutory bar to oil and gas authorizations in the specified West Coast planning areas identified in BOEM's 2024–2029 Proposed Final Program map.