,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aecc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #ab1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,gerlach introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on the   
,judiciary1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish an ,office of  
,public ,advocate within the ,department
 of ,justice to provide services and    
guidance to citizens in dealing with    
concerns involving the ,federal ,energy 
,regulatory ,commission1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,energy ,regulatory 
,public ,protection ,act 4  #b4         
,findings ,the ,congress finds that3    
7#a7 ,the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory  
,commission is not adequately informing 
property owners and local officials on  

the certificate application approval    
process4  7#b7 ,the current certificate 
application approval process at the     
,commission does not include adequate   
,state and local participation4  7#c7   
,the current certificate application    
approval process at the ,commission does
 not provide adequate protections for   
local environmental resources4  7#d7 ,an
 office of public advocate is necessary 
to properly represent the interests of  
property owners and other affected      
parties during the certificate          
application approval process1 and to    
properly inform property owners and     
other parties of their rights during the
 process1 and to provide proper guidance
 to ,state and local officials during   
the process4  #c4 ,establishment and    
duties  7a7 ,establishment and duties   
,there is hereby established within the 
,department of ,justice an office to be 
known as the ,office of ,public         
,advocate4 ,the office shall represent  
the interests of members of the general 

public affected by regulatory matters   
before the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory 
,commission1 other ,commission-related  
matters before 7#a7 other ,federal      
regulatory agencies1 or 7#b7 any court  
of competent jurisdiction4  7b7         
,specific duties ,the specific duties of
 the office are as follows3  7#a7 ,to   
receive and assess comments from all    
interested parties with respect to      
project applications before the ,federal
 ,energy ,regulatory ,commission4 ,for  
purposes of this ,act1 the term         
interested parties includes but shall   
not be limited to1 individuals1         
municipalities1 counties1 ,states1 or   
any other for-profit or non-profit      
entity affected by any proposed project 
for which an application has been filed 
with the ,commission4  7#b7 ,to submit  
all such relevant and pertinent comments
 to the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory    
,commission1 together with its findings 
and recommendations1 regarding the      
outcome1 terms1 and conditions of an    

application for approval4  7#c7 ,to     
review and assess applicant compliance  
with orders of the ,federal ,energy     
,regulatory ,commission and seek full   
compliance of such orders through the   
,federal ,energy ,regulatory            
,commission1 or a court competent       
jurisdiction1 where the applicant fails 
to comply and such noncompliance is     
harmful to the health1 safety1 and      
welfare of affected parties4  7#d7      
,within its sole discretion1 undertake  
appeal of any ,federal ,energy          
,regulatory ,commission order it deems  
appropriate where the order is harmful  
to the health1 safety1 or welfare of    
affected parties4  7#e7 ,submit an      
annual report to the ,attorney ,general1
 the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory       
,commission1 and ,congress regarding its
 actions and activities in the prior    
year1 together with any recommendations 
for regulatory or statutory changes to  
more effectively achieve the goals1     
purposes1 and functions of the office   

and the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory    
,commission4