This bill would permanently prohibit the federal government from issuing oil and gas leases on the ocean floor off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The legislation amends existing law governing the Outer Continental Shelf, which is the underwater area where the federal government can lease rights to energy companies for oil and gas exploration and drilling. The bill would affect energy companies that might otherwise bid for these leases and would protect New England's coastal waters and marine ecosystems from offshore oil and gas development. The measure does not include specific funding allocations or implementation timelines, but it would take effect immediately upon passage and would remain in effect indefinitely unless Congress passes new legislation to change it. The bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of New England senators in July 2024.
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