09 • 29 • 2026
Victory! AB 1448 – Protect California's Coast Against New Offshore Drilling!
Pass AB 1448 – Close the Offshore Drilling Loophole
UPDATE: On September 29, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1448!
California's coastline faces a serious threat. In late 2025, the Trump administration proposed new federal leases for offshore oil and gas drilling along the entire length of California's coast — reversing decades of protections put in place after the catastrophic 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.
While California law already prohibits the State Lands Commission from issuing new leases for oil and gas infrastructure supporting federal leases issued after January 1, 2018, a dangerous loophole remains: oil companies could use existing aging infrastructure — like the heavily corroded Sable pipeline responsible for the 2015 Refugio oil spill — to support new federal offshore drilling.
AB 1448 (Hart) closes that loophole. The bill would:
- Prohibit the use of existing infrastructure to support new federal offshore oil and gas development
- Require the State Lands Commission to consider additional environmental and safety factors before renewing or transferring leases
- Tighten California's ban on offshore oil drilling in state waters
Our coast, our fishing communities, our tourism economy, and our marine habitats cannot afford another catastrophic spill. Tell your legislators to support AB 1448 and protect California's coast.