H.R. 513 — Offshore Lands Authorities Act of 2025

This section nullifies specified Presidential memoranda and Executive Order provisions that withdrew certain unleased Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas from mineral leasing, thereby making those areas available for future lease sales under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). The nullified actions are: (1) the December 20, 2016, memorandum on the Chukchi Sea Planning Area and Beaufort Sea Planning Area; (2) the December 16, 2014, memorandum on the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area; (3) section 3 of E.O. 13754 on the Northern Bering Sea climate resilience area; (4) section 4(b) of E.O. 13990 reinstating E.O. 13754 and the December 20, 2016, Arctic memorandum; (5) the March 13, 2023, memorandum on the Beaufort Planning Area; (6) the December 20, 2016, memorandum on Atlantic Coast canyons and canyon complexes; (7) the January 6, 2025, memorandum on Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific areas; and (8) the January 6, 2025, memorandum on the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area. (Thus, these OCS areas—primarily in Alaska waters, with some in the Atlantic and other regions—are again eligible for oil, gas, and mineral lease sales administered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.)

This section limits the President's authority to withdraw unleased outer Continental Shelf lands by (1) requiring transmission of any such withdrawal to Congress beginning on the date of enactment; (2) prohibiting withdrawals exceeding 150,000 acres (total or contiguous with others), longer than 20 years, or 500,000 acres cumulatively without congressional approval; (3) requiring the Secretary of the Interior to complete specified assessments of mineral resources, economic/energy/national security value, and revenue impacts prior to any withdrawal and submit a report to designated congressional committees; and (4) establishing an expedited congressional disapproval process via joint resolution, including special Senate procedures for discharge, debate (limited to 10 hours), and floor consideration.