Continuous leasing programs

Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended by adding at the end the following: (j) Continuous leasing program (1) Purpose The leasing program required under this section shall be maintained without interruption to ensure a continuous schedule of offshore oil and gas lease sales on the outer Continental Shelf, avoiding any lapse between the expiration of one 5-year leasing program and the approval of the subsequent program. (2) Timely approval For each leasing program covering a 5-year period beginning on or after the date of enactment of the Bringing Reliable Investment into Domestic Gulf Energy Production Act of 2025, the Secretary shall approve the final leasing program by not later than 120 days before the expiration date of the preceding leasing program. (3) Preparation schedule To meet the requirement of paragraph (2), the Secretary shall— (A) not later than 24 months before the expiration of the leasing program in effect, publish a draft proposed leasing program for the subsequent 5-year period; and (B) complete the consultation, comment, and approval processes required under this section in time to comply with paragraph (2). (4) Default schedule in case of delay If the Secretary fails to approve a leasing program for a subsequent 5-year period by the date specified in paragraph (2), the following leasing schedule and requirements shall immediately take effect as the operative leasing program under this section for that 5-year period: (A) Gulf of America Region The Secretary shall annually conduct two region-wide oil and gas lease sales, one in the Central Gulf of America Planning Area and one in the Western Gulf of America Planning Area, as described in the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program published on November 18, 2016, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (as announced in the notice of availability of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled Notice of Availability of the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (81 Fed. Reg. 84612 (November 23, 2016))). (B) Alaska Region The Secretary shall annually conduct one region-wide oil and gas lease sale in the Alaska Region of the outer Continental Shelf, as described in the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program published on November 18, 2016, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (as announced in the notice of availability of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled Notice of Availability of the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (81 Fed. Reg. 84612 (November 23, 2016))). (C) Scope of Offerings Each lease sale conducted under this paragraph shall include all unleased acres in the areas identified in Figure 1–2 of the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program published on November 18, 2016, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (as announced in the notice of availability of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled Notice of Availability of the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (81 Fed. Reg. 84612 (November 23, 2016))). (5) Environmental compliance for default schedule Upon the application of paragraph (4), holding a lease sale under the replacement schedule described in that paragraph shall not require additional analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the environmental reviews specified in section 4(a)(2) of the BRIDGE Production Act of 2025 shall be deemed sufficient to meet all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for such lease sales, lease issuances, and associated activities requiring Federal authorization on such leases. (6) Bid acceptance and lease issuance If the Secretary receives an acceptable bid for any tract offered in a lease sale held pursuant to the schedule described under paragraph (4) (as determined under the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ‘Summary of Procedures for Determining Bid Adequacy at Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales Effective March 2016’), the Secretary shall issue a lease for such tract not later than 90 days after the date of the lease sale..