Jimmy Patronis (R-FL)
Protecting Florida's Offshore Military Readiness Act
A Republican bill with 9 Republican cosponsors · See all 9 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Protecting Florida's Offshore Military Readiness Act. It sets up a moratorium stopping oil and gas production and exploration in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range. Under this bill, the Secretary cannot offer any area in that range for leasing, preleasing, production, or related oil and gas activities. However, the rule does not affect valid existing leases that are already in effect when the law is passed. The moratorium will only end if the Secretary of War sends a certification to Congress stating that the range is not of critical use.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +6
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill establishes a moratorium on new oil and gas production and exploration in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range, protecting the marine environment from new development.
- Scored +5
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?
The bill prioritizes military and environmental preservation by halting new energy leasing in a critical Department of Defense test and training area.
- Scored +4
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The legislation supports national security and military readiness by preventing commercial energy encroachment on a key defense training range.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Does this reduce how much oil, gas and coal is produced?
The bill restricts future oil and gas leasing and exploration activities within the designated test and training range.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Section 2 adds subsection (d)(1) to the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, which stops the Secretary from offering areas in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range for oil and gas leasing, preleasing, production, or related activities. This could be seen as positive because it protects the area from new oil and gas development.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2 adds subsection (d)(2), which states that the moratorium shall not affect valid existing leases in effect on the date of enactment. This could be viewed as negative because people or groups relying on a complete and immediate stop to all ongoing operations will see that current leases are allowed to continue.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The legislation supports national security and military readiness by preventing commercial energy encroachment on a key defense training range. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Coastal and nearby communities benefit from the protection of local marine and coastal ecosystems against new offshore drilling.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill establishes a moratorium on new oil and gas production and exploration in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range, protecting the marine environment from new development. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The bill prioritizes military and environmental preservation by halting new energy leasing in a critical Department of Defense test and training area. Does this reduce how much oil, gas and coal is produced? — The bill restricts future oil and gas leasing and exploration activities within the designated test and training range.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this reduce what is spent on the military? — The bill protects the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range for military readiness by prohibiting new oil and gas leasing activities.
- 11/2/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/9/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 8 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Gus BilirakisRepublican · Florida
Vern BuchananRepublican · Florida
Kat CammackRepublican · Florida
Neal DunnRepublican · Florida
Scott FranklinRepublican · Florida
Carlos GimenezRepublican · Florida
Mike HaridopolosRepublican · Florida
John RutherfordRepublican · Florida
Daniel WebsterRepublican · Florida