American Shores Protection Act

American Shores Protection Act

This bill extends a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico through June 30, 2032, and expands the moratorium to include the South Atlantic Planning Area and the Straits of Florida Planning Area.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4696 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4696

 To amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to extend the 
    moratorium on drilling off the coasts of the States of Florida, 
          Georgia, and South Carolina, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2021

 Mr. Waltz (for himself, Mr. Buchanan, Ms. Mace, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. 
Rutherford, Mr. Gimenez, Mr. Mast, Mr. Posey, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. 
 C. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, 
Mr. Donalds, Ms. Salazar, Mrs. Cammack, and Mr. Steube) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to extend the 
    moratorium on drilling off the coasts of the States of Florida, 
          Georgia, and South Carolina, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American Shores Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON OIL AND GAS LEASING OFF THE COASTS OF THE STATES 
              OF FLORIDA, GEORGIA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA.

    Section 104 of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 
U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109-432) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``June 30, 2022'' and inserting ``June 30, 
                2032'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (C) in paragraph (3)(B)(iii), by striking the 
                period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) any area in the South Atlantic Planning Area (as 
        designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as of the 
        date of enactment of this paragraph); or
            ``(5) any area in the Straits of Florida Planning Area (as 
        designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as of the 
        date of enactment of this paragraph).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Effect on Certain Leases.--The moratoria under paragraphs (4) 
and (5) of subsection (a) shall not affect valid existing leases in 
effect on the date of enactment of this subsection.
    ``(e) Environmental Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), 
the Secretary may issue leases in areas described in that subsection 
for environmental conservation purposes, including the purposes of 
shore protection, beach nourishment and restoration, wetlands 
restoration, and habitat protection.''.
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