I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8718 
To conditionally prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in 
the Columbia Management Area, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2024 
Ms. PEREZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To conditionally prohibit commercial offshore wind energy 
development in the Columbia Management Area, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE 
WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN COLUMBIA 
MANAGEMENT AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 8 of the 
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337), no 
lease, license, permit, or other authorization may be issued 
for the development of commercial offshore wind energy 
in the Columbia Management Area unless the Comptroller 
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General determines the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (b) show that offshore wind projects in 
the Columbia Management Area do not and will not have 
adverse impacts on the items described in paragraph 
(2)(A) of that subsection. 
(b) STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Comptroller General shall conduct a study to assess 
the sufficiency of the environmental review processes 
of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Bu-
reau of Ocean Energy Management, and any other 
relevant Federal agency for offshore wind projects in 
the Columbia Management Area in place as of the 
date of enactment of this section. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The study required under 
paragraph (1) shall include consideration of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The impacts of offshore wind projects 
in the Columbia Management Area on— 
(i) marine mammals; 
(ii) finfish; 
(iii) shellfish aquaculture; 
(iv) the commercial and recreational 
fishing industries, including marine equip-
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ment retailers, onshore processors, fish 
markets, and other shoreside businesses; 
(v) air quality and greenhouse gas 
emissions; 
(vi) cultural, historical, and Tribal re-
sources; 
(vii) marine invertebrates; 
(viii) essential fish habitat; 
(ix) plankton abundance and distribu-
tion; 
(x) recreation and tourism; and 
(xi) fisheries-dependent communities. 
(B) How each agency described in para-
graph (1) determines which stakeholders to con-
sult with regard to offshore wind projects in the 
Columbia Management Area and if a timely, 
comprehensive comment period is provided for 
local representatives and interested parties with 
regard to such offshore wind projects. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COLUMBIA MANAGEMENT AREA.—The term 
‘‘Columbia Management Area’’ means the area de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(ii) of the definition of the 
term ‘‘North-South management area’’ in section 
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660.11 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
a successor regulation). 
(2) ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT.—The term ‘‘es-
sential fish habitat’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con-
servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802). 
Æ 
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