Offshore Lands Authorities Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 513

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Energy

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-05-20: Subcommittee Hearings Held

Last Updated

2025-05-22T14:56:51Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The Offshore Lands Authorities Act of 2025 (H.R. 513) aims to reverse specific past presidential actions that blocked oil, gas, and mineral leasing on unleased offshore lands in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)—the submerged lands beyond state waters but under U.S. jurisdiction. It also seeks to limit the President's future ability to make such blocks without congressional checks, promoting more oversight on energy resource management.

Key Provisions

• Nullification of Past Withdrawals (Section 2):

The bill declares eight specific presidential actions as having no legal effect. These include memoranda and executive orders from 2014 to 2025 that withdrew areas in regions like the Arctic (Chukchi and Beaufort Seas), North Aleutian Basin, Northern Bering Sea, Atlantic Coast canyons, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific areas from oil, gas, or mineral leasing. This effectively reopens these areas for potential leasing.

• Limits on Presidential Withdrawal Authority (Section 3):

Amends Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA, a 1953 law governing federal management of offshore resources):

• Size and Duration Limits: Future withdrawals by the President cannot exceed 150,000 acres per action (or be contiguous to other withdrawals beyond this limit) and must last no longer than 20 years.
• Cumulative Limit: No President can withdraw more than 500,000 acres total without explicit congressional approval.
• Required Assessments: Before any withdrawal, the Secretary of the Interior (in consultation with other agencies like Commerce, Energy, Defense, and Agriculture) must complete:
• A recent (within 5 years) geophysical and geological survey of mineral resources in the area.
• An evaluation of the area's economic, energy, and national security value.
• An estimate of lost federal revenues (to the U.S. Treasury, states, Land and Water Conservation Fund, and Historic Preservation Fund).

A report summarizing these must be sent to key congressional committees (e.g., Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce).

• Congressional Notification and Review: The President must notify Congress of any withdrawal. Withdrawals cannot conflict with areas scheduled for lease sales in the Department of the Interior's 5-year oil and gas leasing program.
• Expedited Disapproval Process: Congress can pass a joint resolution to block or cancel a withdrawal using fast-track rules (similar to those in the Congressional Review Act):
• Resolutions are referred to relevant committees and can be discharged after 20 days if stalled (in the Senate, via petition from 30 senators).
• Senate debate is limited to 10 hours, with no amendments or delays; votes occur immediately after debate.
• If Congress disapproves, the withdrawal ends and cannot be reissued in similar form without new legislation.
• No court challenges (judicial review) are allowed for these congressional actions.
• Agencies must submit actions publicly (e.g., via Federal Register) and notify Congress, triggering the review clock.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Reversal of Executive Actions: Unlike prior law, which allowed broad presidential discretion under OCSLA to withdraw areas indefinitely without reversal, this bill explicitly voids specific past withdrawals, shifting power back toward potential resource development.
• New Constraints on Executive Power: OCSLA previously gave the President unchecked authority to withdraw unleased OCS lands "by proclamation or other public notice." The amendments add strict caps on size, duration, and totals; mandatory multi-agency assessments; and congressional veto power via expedited procedures—none of which existed before.
• Enhanced Congressional Role: Introduces a formal disapproval mechanism with procedural rules that override standard Senate filibusters or delays, treating it as a congressional "rule" that can be changed by each chamber.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: The Department of the Interior and other agencies (e.g., Energy, Defense) will face increased workload for assessments and reporting, potentially slowing executive actions. Congress gains tools to influence energy policy more directly.
• On Citizens: Could expand opportunities for domestic oil and gas production in withdrawn areas, possibly lowering energy costs or boosting jobs in energy sectors, but may raise environmental risks (e.g., drilling in sensitive Arctic or Atlantic zones) without added protections. States like Louisiana, Texas, and Alaska could see revenue shares from leasing (e.g., via the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act).
• On International Relations: By promoting U.S. energy independence through more leasing, it might reduce reliance on foreign oil, affecting trade with energy-exporting nations (e.g., OPEC countries) or allies concerned about global climate goals. No direct international provisions, but Arctic withdrawals could impact U.S.-Russia or U.S.-Canada relations over shared resources.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Energy Industry: Oil, gas, and mineral companies (e.g., in the Gulf of Mexico) benefit from reopened areas and reduced barriers to leasing.
• Coastal States and Local Communities: Producers like Louisiana, Texas, Alaska, and West Virginia gain potential royalties and economic boosts; fishing or tourism-dependent areas may oppose due to environmental concerns.
• Environmental and Conservation Groups: Adversely affected, as nullified withdrawals previously protected sensitive ecosystems (e.g., Bering Sea, Atlantic canyons) from drilling.
• Federal Government: Executive branch (President, Interior Department) loses flexibility; Congress (especially resource committees) gains oversight.
• General Public: Taxpayers and consumers could see varied energy prices and federal revenue changes (e.g., to conservation funds).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Bars judicial review of congressional disapprovals, limiting court challenges to these processes and emphasizing legislative supremacy over executive actions in OCS management. Assessments must use objective data (e.g., geological surveys), potentially making withdrawals more defensible or contestable on factual grounds.
• Constitutional: Balances separation of powers by curbing executive authority while affirming Congress's rulemaking power (Article I) for its internal procedures. The bill explicitly states these rules can be changed by Congress, respecting bicameralism, but could spark debates over executive overreach in energy policy.
• Political: Introduced by Republican lawmakers from energy-producing states, it counters withdrawals by Democratic administrations (e.g., Obama, Biden), signaling partisan divides on climate vs. energy production. If passed, it could set a precedent for congressional checks on future presidents' environmental or resource decisions, influencing election-year energy debates.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

Cosponsors (25)

Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38], Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14], Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2], Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6], Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9], Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19], Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1], Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2], Rep. Brecheen, Josh [R-OK-2], Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24], Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10], Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7], Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15], Rep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5], Rep. Burlison, Eric [R-MO-7], Rep. Clyde, Andrew S. [R-GA-9], Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5], Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1], Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1], Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8], Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12], Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4], Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4], Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large], Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]

Recent Actions

• 2025-05-20: Subcommittee Hearings Held
• 2025-05-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
• 2025-01-16: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-01-16: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-01-16: Introduced in House
• 2025-01-16: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Offshore Lands Authorities Act of 2025 — issued 2025-01-16 — PDF (14 pages)