Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama would manage more offshore oil and fishing in Gulf waters.
This bill would let Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama manage oil and gas activities and fishing in a larger area off their coasts. Currently, the federal government handles these activities beyond 3 miles from shore. If passed, these states could oversee these activities up to about 10.35 miles out, potentially changing how offshore energy and fishing are regulated in those waters.
Today, the federal government manages oil, gas, and other energy activities, as well as fisheries, beyond 3 geographical miles from the coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. After this bill, if a state requests and qualifies, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama would manage these activities in an expanded area, stretching from 3 geographical miles out to 3 marine leagues (about 10.35 miles) from their shores. This means state rules and agencies would oversee these activities in that specific offshore zone, rather than federal ones, though federal authority would remain for certain types of fisheries and national security matters.
HR 8542 · 119th Congress · April 28, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 7/10
Sign in to see your representatives' phone numbers