Bill > S109

This bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct at least 20 offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico Region over a 10-year period, beginning from the act's enactment. The lease sales must offer at least 74 million acres and follow specific timing requirements, with sales scheduled biannually from March 2026 to August 2035. The bill mandates that these lease sales use the same lease terms and conditions as the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 261, and requires leases to be issued within 90 days if acceptable bids are received. The legislation also addresses potential litigation by stipulating that environmental lawsuits cannot invalidate issued leases or automatically delay drilling permit applications. Additionally, the bill extends the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to December 31, 2035, while adding provisions to allow leases for environmental conservation purposes and expanding the areas covered by the moratorium to include the South Atlantic and Straits of Florida Planning Areas. The bill aims to provide regulatory certainty and promote continued offshore energy exploration and development.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/109/all-info