April 10, 2025
Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Prohibition of oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington
Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(q) Prohibition of Oil and Gas Exploration, Development, and Production in Certain Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf
(1) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any other law, the Secretary shall not issue a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in the planning areas described in paragraph (2).
(2) Planning areas
The planning areas referred to in paragraph (1) are the following, as depicted in the 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program published on September 29, 2023, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (as announced in the notice of availability of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled
Notice of Availability of the 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement(88 Fed. Reg. 67798 (October 2, 2023))):(A)
The Washington/Oregon Planning Area.
(B)
The Northern California Planning Area.
(C)
The Central California Planning Area.
(D)
The Southern California Planning Area.