Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act

HR 2862 prohibits the federal government from leasing offshore areas in Southern California for oil and gas exploration or production. It directly affects oil and gas companies seeking permits in the Southern California Planning Area, as defined in the federal 2024-2029 Outer Continental Shelf leasing program. The bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to block all future leases in this region, preventing new drilling projects in the specified offshore waters. This is a concrete policy change that halts federal leasing decisions in the area without altering existing leases or operations.