# 119-s-4715: Offshore Leasing Standards and Accountability Act of 2026

119-s-4715, Offshore Leasing Standards and Accountability Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4715
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4715
- Congress: 119
- Title: Offshore Leasing Standards and Accountability Act of 2026
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-06-09
- Sponsor: Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-11-01

## Summary

**This bill would create a mandatory _fitness-to-operate_ certification for companies seeking Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases and pair it with strict decommissioning and financial safeguards.** It ties lease eligibility to environmental compliance, financial solvency, and readiness to clean up wells.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Annual reporting and program funding: benefit, high. If enacted, the Secretary would report to Congress within one year after issuing fitness regulations and every year after. Reports would list failed fitness assessments by person and lease, enforcement actions, decommissioning cost estimates, and escrow balances. The bill would also authorize $30 m…
- Mandatory decommissioning escrow accounts: cost, medium. If enacted, each OCS leaseholder would have to pay into an interest-bearing escrow to cover full decommissioning costs. The Secretary would estimate costs before new leases and update estimates at least every 2 years. New leases would require an initial payment equal to the larger of 25% of the ave…
- Shorter temporary abandonment limits for wells: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Secretary would not approve temporary abandonment of an OCS oil well for more than three years. The Secretary could grant one one-time extension to five years for an individual well if needed for operational stability or environmental safety. Approval to place a well into temporary…
- New fitness checks for offshore operators: mixed, medium. If enacted, no new OCS lease, extension, or transfer could go to a party unless that party and covered entities are certified fit to operate. The Secretary would issue regulations within one year setting standards. Applicants would need to show past compliance, financial solvency, an investment-gra…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-4715 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4715)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949)
- [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4715 (as of 2026-11-01).