Press Releases

Louisiana Congressmen Garret Graves (R-LA) and Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) announced today their bipartisan legislation, the “Offshore Parity Act of 2024,” that will expand the state authority of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico. Expansion of state sovereignty in the Gulf would give Louisiana greater management authority over resources like energy and fisheries. 

“Texas and Florida have nearly nine miles of state waters, while Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have just three. I’m not sure who was negotiating for us generations ago, but that is just ridiculous. Our bill fixes this disparity by giving all Gulf states the same nine miles of energy, fisheries and other resources to manage.” said Graves. “Energy production in Louisiana waters will result in new revenue to rebuild our coast and protect our people and energy infrastructure. And Louisiana fisheries management will remain the best in the country. This is a win for energy, ecosystems and estuaries – and that benefits all Americans.”

“This is a critical step toward equality, ensuring Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama have the same authority over their waters as Texas and Florida. This bill will empower us to manage our energy resources, protect our coastal communities, and strengthen our fisheries—securing both economic and environmental benefits for our state. I’m proud to join Congressman Graves in this bipartisan effort to give us the tools to build a more resilient and prosperous future,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. 

Congressman Graves has been working on expanding Louisiana’s boundary since he was a Senate staffer and helped draft the original legislation, the Offshore Fairness Act of 2005. “This has been an ongoing effort for me for many years to give Louisiana parity and I appreciate Congressman Carter helping to lead this effort,” added Graves.

Background:

In the 1940s, coastal states began staking claim to resources in waters off their coastline, and questions over federal and state jurisdiction ensued. As a result, Congress passed the Submerged Lands Act of 1953 (SLA) to establish coastal states' jurisdiction and boundaries.

The SLA, with federal courts, granted Texas and the Gulf Coast of Florida jurisdiction of 9 nautical miles, or three marine leagues, off their coastlines, while it established Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama’s coastline at three nautical miles – resulting in comparatively significant federal overreach in the most productive area in the American Gulf of Mexico.

The State of Louisiana challenged this restriction before the United States Supreme Court in 1969, which ruled in United States vs. Louisiana that Louisiana could not prove it had jurisdiction over the waters extending 3 marine leagues from its coastline before it entered the Union, and thus its state waters would stay at 3 nautical miles.  The Graves-Carter bill fixes this disparity.  

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