S.Amdt. 6049

SA 6049, submitted by Mr. Padilla, aims to add a section to bill S. 4784 that limits how the Department of Defense uses funds for fiscal year 2027.

The purpose of this amendment is to stop the Department of Defense from using funds to make determinations or enter into oil and gas agreements on the Outer Continental Shelf that would limit Armed Forces access to operating areas or ranges off the coasts of California or Florida.

The only way this can happen is if the Secretary of Defense certifies to congressional defense committees that the agreement or determination will not have a significant adverse effect on the operations, testing, or training of the Armed Forces in those areas.

To provide this certification, the Secretary must include:

• An identification of the scope of training and test events in those areas.

• An identification of any comparable areas, inside or outside the U.S. and its territories, that can replicate those capabilities.

• The number of military operations, exercises, and test events conducted in those areas by calendar year for the 10 years before the certification.

• An assessment of how the Armed Forces would be unable to meet training and test requirements for operational plans if oil and gas activities reduced or constrained access.

• An assessment of the consultation with the Secretary of each military department and the Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse during permitting. This must include a description of how oil and gas activities could negatively affect Armed Forces missions and any proposed mitigations, as well as any instances where Department of Defense officials recommended against such activities in those specific areas.