A bipartisan bill to protect Florida’s coastline and prevent offshore oil drilling was introduced in Congress.
Florida Congressman John H. Rutherford introduced H.R. 6068, the Preserving Recreation, Oceans, Tourism, Environment, and Coastal Towns in (PROTECT) Florida Act, to prevent drilling off Florida’s coast. This bipartisan legislation codifies President Trump’s moratorium on oil and gas leasing, seismic testing, and exploration in federal waters off the coast of Florida until 2032.
“Florida’s coastal environment is a central part of our state’s economy and way of life,” said Rep. John Rutherford. “Floridians have spoken, and they do not want drilling off their coast. That is why I am proud to introduce the PROTECT Florida Act with my colleagues from Florida. This commonsense, bipartisan bill will ensure our environment is preserved for generations to come.”
This bipartisan legislation with support from members of Congress all over Florida comes after the Department of the Interior announced a Secretary’s Order titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to take the necessary steps, in accordance with federal law, to terminate the restrictive Biden 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and replace it with a new, expansive 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program by October 2026.
Rutherford was joined by Representatives Jimmy Patronis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez, Daniel Webster, Lois Frankel, Gus Bilirakis, Byron Donalds, Maria Salazar, Anna Paulina Luna, Mike Haridopolis, Scott Franklin, Darren Soto, Laurel Lee, Neal Dunn, and Vern Buchanan in the U.S. House.
Florida’s economy relies on healthy and pristine beaches. According to NOAA, Florida’s coastal economy contributes approximately $760 billion to our nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) through tourism, fishing, and recreation.
The PROTECT Florida Act codifies protections for Florida’s coastline against offshore drilling guaranteed in President Donald Trump’s 2020 executive order. It extends the GOMESA protections in the Eastern Gulf and creates a new moratorium for Florida’s Atlantic Coast and the Straits of Florida through 2032.
In the Senate, Republican Senator Ashley Moody announced she was introducing the American Shores Protection Act to prohibit oil drilling and natural gas exploration and development near Florida’s coastline. This legislation would extend the drilling moratorium, which includes the shores of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, from 2022 to 2032, and would codify President Trump’s September 2020 executive action that protects Sunshine State beaches.
Republican Senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott also led the entire congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump: keep oil drilling off Florida’s coasts.
