Former energy lobbyist David Bernhardt testifies before a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on his nomination of to be Interior secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

(Reuters) - The Interior Department’s final proposal to expand offshore oil drilling is not yet complete, and the timing for its release is unclear, Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told a panel of lawmakers on Thursday.

“I don’t know what the timing is because it’s not done to a point where they’ve wanted to bring it to me yet. I don’t think it’s going to happen immediately,” he said. He added that input from coastal states, many of which oppose expanded drilling, would be a major factor in the outcome of the proposal.