HR 408119th CongressIn Committee

To nullify the Presidential memoranda on the withdrawal of certain areas of the outer Continental Shelf from oil or natural gas leasing.

Introduced: Jan 15, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19] (R-Texas)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would reverse two January 6, 2025 presidential memoranda that withdrew certain areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from oil and natural gas leasing. Specifically, it declares that those memoranda shall have no force or effect. In practical terms, the bill would remove the executive policy barriers to leasing in the affected regions, potentially allowing federal offshore oil and gas leasing activities to proceed in those areas after any required regulatory processes. As introduced, it does not itself authorize leasing or appropriate funding; it simply nullifies the two memoranda and would return the authority to decide leasing in those areas to the standard statutory and regulatory framework.

Key Points

1The bill nullifies two January 6, 2025 presidential memoranda that withdrew OCS areas from oil and gas leasing.
2It explicitly states that those memoranda shall have no force or effect.
3The affected regions include: (1) Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf; and (2) the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area.
4By nullifying the memoranda, the bill would restore the possibility of offshore leasing in those areas under existing federal law, subject to the normal leasing process and environmental review.
5The bill is introduced in the House (H.R. 408, 119th Congress), referred to the Committee on Natural Resources; no sponsor is identified in the provided text, and it would need passage by Congress and signature by the President to become law.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Oil and natural gas industry and energy development stakeholders seeking offshore leasing opportunities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf; federal agencies (e.g., BOEM, BSEE) and regional regulators overseeing leasing and offshore operations.Secondary group/area affected: Coastal states, coastal communities, Indigenous communities (including Alaska’s Northern regions), and environmental/advocacy groups with interests in offshore energy development, fisheries, and ecosystem protection.Additional impacts: Potential policy and environmental implications (including NEPA reviews, environmental assessments, and potential climate implications), possible shifts in federal revenue dynamics from leasing, and heightened regulatory and litigation considerations as areas previously withdrawn could move toward leasing activity depending on subsequent actions.

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