S5654

On September 30, 2026, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced S5654, the Protecting Florida's Offshore Military Readiness Act. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. It is in early stage with one original cosponsor, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL). The bill amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to add a new subsection establishing a moratorium on oil and gas leasing, preleasing, production, and related activities in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range. The bill does not authorize or appropriate any funding. It establishes a regulatory moratorium on oil and gas activities in the designated area. Existing valid leases are explicitly grandfathered, so the moratorium only affects future leasing. The mechanism is a statutory prohibition on the Secretary of the Interior, not a spending program. There is no direct money trail; the impact is regulatory certainty for military users of the range. No related signals or procurement actions are provided in this analysis. The bill stands alone as a narrow, geographically specific measure. However, it fits within a broader pattern of congressional efforts to protect military training ranges from encroachment by energy development, which has been a recurring issue in the Gulf of Mexico. The primary beneficiaries are defense contractors that conduct testing and training at the Eglin range, including Lockheed Martin ($LMT), Northrop Grumman ($NOC), Raytheon, Boeing, and General Dynamics ($GD). These companies rely on the range for testing advanced weapons systems. The moratorium provides statutory certainty that the range will not be disrupted by future oil and gas development. Energy companies with Gulf of Mexico interests, such as ExxonMobil ($XOM) and Chevron ($CVX), face no immediate impact because existing leases are protected and the area is not a major exploration target. The bill's impact on energy sector revenues is negligible. The bill must pass the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, then the full Senate, then the House, and be signed by the President. Given its narrow scope and bipartisan appeal (protecting military readiness), it has a moderate chance of advancement, but the early stage means it is unlikely to become law in the near term. No companion bill has been introduced in the House. The legislative path is long, and the bill may be amended or folded into a larger energy or defense authorization bill.