Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act

HR 3978, the Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act, prohibits the federal government from issuing new oil and gas leases in the Southern California planning area. It directly affects the Secretary of the Interior and potential oil and gas companies by banning exploration, development, or production leases in that specific region, as defined in the 2018 National OCS Leasing Program. The bill amends existing law to permanently block new leasing in this coastal zone, with no new permits allowed under current or future federal leasing programs.