Congress locks out new offshore oil drilling off Florida, Georgia, South Carolina

What it does

This bill prohibits the federal government from issuing new oil and gas leases or permits in three specific ocean areas off Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina (the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic Planning Area, and Straits of Florida) until June 30, 2032. Existing leases issued before the bill's enactment remain valid. The bill codifies a 2020 presidential withdrawal of these areas from oil and gas leasing.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a straightforward prohibition on new federal oil and gas leases in three named ocean planning areas off the southeastern U.S. coast. It is a regulatory restriction on extraction, not a subsidy, tax carve-out, or procedural maneuver.

What the text implies

• The seven-year sunset (June 30, 2032) means the prohibition expires unless Congress renews it, creating a future legislative battle point and potential uncertainty for coastal communities.
• Existing leases remain valid, so any active operations or leases issued before enactment continue unaffected—the bill does not retroactively cancel development rights already granted.
• The bill references a 2020 presidential memorandum, tying its legal foundation to executive action; if that memorandum is challenged or reversed, the statutory prohibition may face legal vulnerability.
• Coastal tourism, fishing, and real-estate industries may see long-term economic benefit from preserved marine ecosystems, but short-term job losses in oil and gas sectors are concentrated in specific communities.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens in coastal states gain protection from offshore oil and gas development that poses environmental and economic risks to fisheries, tourism, and marine ecosystems. The restriction on new leases does not affect existing operations, limiting disruption while preventing future extraction in sensitive waters.

Who stands to gain

• coastal tourism operators
• commercial fishing industry
• real-estate developers in coastal areas
• environmental and conservation organizations

Named in the bill

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Eastern Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic Planning Area, Straits of Florida Planning Area, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, CCJ (Cameco Corp.), EQT Corporation, TRGP (Targa Resources), PSX (Phillips 66), EXE (Exelon Corporation)

Where it stands

2 cosponsors: 2 Republicans.

• Oct 30, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Oct 30, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources”
• Feb 12, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

4 lobbying clients named this bill on 5 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $4,073,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 33 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 72% of bills with at least one filing.

Ashley Moody, the sponsor, reported $2,315,100 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Petroleum Institute — $1,920,000 on 1 filing
• Chevron U.S.A. Inc. — $1,670,000 on 1 filing
• Ocean Conservancy — $403,000 on 2 filings
• American Petroleum Institute — $80,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.