S. 956: OCEAN Act
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S. 956: OCEAN Act
115th Congress · introduced 2017-04-27 · Energy · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2017-04-27 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
OCEAN Act
Plain summary
Outer Continental Shelf Energy Access Now Act or the OCEAN Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to limit the President's authority to prohibit oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf. The President may prohibit, through a rule making, oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf located in a national marine sanctuary. Any suspension of operations under a lease arising from a state of war or declaration of national emergency shall be for 90 days and may be renewed. The bill rescinds existing moratoriums on oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf other than marine sanctuaries and national monuments. The President may not declare or reserve any ocean waters or lands beneath ocean waters as a national monument.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] · 2 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
John Kennedy (R-LA)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] reported raising $6.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (2)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
- Rulemaking
- The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s956.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>
Record fed-us-cong115-s956 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115