The Offshore Parity Act of 2024 would expand the coastal management authority of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico by allowing these states to manage oil, gas, and other energy activities in waters extending from 3 miles to 3 marine leagues (roughly 9 miles) offshore. States that meet certain federal conditions and submit written requests within five years of the bill's enactment would gain the power to grant leases, collect royalties, and set their own minimum bids and royalty rates for these expanded offshore areas, though they must adequately fund operations and comply with federal regulations. The bill also extends these three states' fisheries management jurisdiction to the same 3 marine league limit, though federal authority remains over highly migratory species and activities involving national security or international obligations. States would be required to indemnify the federal government against liability claims from existing leaseholders and to assume responsibility for decommissioning facilities in the expanded areas, with the federal government able to deduct any damages awards from revenue otherwise owed to the states. This legislation aims to give these Gulf Coast states greater control over their offshore resources while maintaining federal oversight of certain matters.
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