Abandoned or poorly sealed offshore wells can leak oil and methane into the ocean, harming wildlife and contributing to climate change. Currently, it can be difficult for the public to know which companies are actually following through on their cleanup promises and which ones are letting equipment sit idle for years.

If this becomes law, it creates a 'report card' for the offshore oil industry. This matters because it shifts the pressure from private negotiations between the government and oil companies into the public eye. Without this law, the details of missed deadlines and environmental enforcement actions remain buried in technical government databases that are hard for average citizens to access.