,,ib  ,union ,calendar ,no4 #bag  #aadth
 ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4 ,r4     
#bbie  ,report ,no4 #aad-bhe  ,,in ,,the
 ,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,may   
#ac1 #bjae ,mr4 ,mac,arthur 7for himself
 and ,mr4 ,richmond7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,october #f1 #bjae;,additional sponsors3
 ,mrs4 ,lummis1 ,mr4 ,turner1 ,mr4      
,farenthold1 ,mr4 ,mc,kinley1 ,mr4      
,gosar1 ,mr4 ,duncan of ,south          
,carolina1 ,mr4 ,kelly of ,pennsylvania1
 ,mr4 ,pearce1 ,mr4 ,schweikert1 ,mr4   
,perry1 ,mr4 ,westerman1 ,mr4 ,thompson 
of ,pennsylvania1 and ,mr4 ,rothfus     
,october #f1 #bjae,reported with an     
amendment1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed   
,strike out all after the enacting      
clause and insert the part printed in   
italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see
 copy of bill as introduced on ,may #ac1
 #bjae  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the        

,mineral ,leasing ,act to require the   
,secretary of the ,interior to identify 
and designate ,national ,energy         
,security ,corridors for the            
construction of natural gas pipelines on
 ,federal land1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,national ,energy ,security     
,corridors ,act4  #b4 ,designation of   
,national ,energy ,security ,corridors  
on ,federal lands  7a7 ,in general      
,section #bh of the ,mineral ,leasing   
,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ahe7 is amended as 
follows3  7#a7 ,in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7
 by striking 7b77#a7 ,for the purposes  
of this section ,federal lands means and
 inserting the following3  7b7  7#a7    
,for the purposes of this section       
,federal lands-- 7,a7 except as provided
 in subparagraph 7,b71 means  2  7,b7 by
 striking the period at the end of      
paragraph 7#a7 and inserting 2 and and  
by adding at the end of paragraph 7#a7  
the following3  7,b7 for purposes of    
granting an application for a natural   

gas pipeline right-of-way1 means all    
lands owned by the ,united ,states      
except--  7i7 such lands held in trust  
for an ,indian or ,indian tribe2 and    
7ii7 lands on the ,outer ,continental   
,shelf4  4  7#b7 ,by redesignating      
subsection 7b71 as so amended1 as       
subsection 7z71 and transferring such   
subsection to appear after subsection   
7y7 of that section4  7#c7 ,by inserting
 after subsection 7a7 the following3    
7b7 ,national ,energy ,security         
,corridors  7#a7 ,designation ,in       
addition to other authorities under this
 section1 the ,secretary shall--  7,a7  
identify and designate suitable ,federal
 lands as ,national ,energy ,security   
,corridors 7in this subsection referred 
to as a ,corridor71 which shall be used 
for construction1 operation1 and        
maintenance of natural gas transmission 
facilities2 and  7,b7 incorporate such  
,corridors upon designation into the    
relevant agency land use and resource   
management plans or equivalent plans4   

7#b7 ,considerations ,in evaluating     
,federal lands for designation as a     
,national ,energy ,security ,corridor1  
the ,secretary shall--  7,a7 employ the 
principle of multiple use to ensure     
route decisions balance national energy 
security needs with existing land use   
principles2  7,b7 seek input from other 
,federal counterparts1 ,state1 local1   
and tribal governments1 and affected    
utility and pipeline industries to      
determine the best suitable1 most       
cost-effective1 and commercially viable 
acreage for natural gas transmission    
facilities2  7,c7 focus on transmission 
routes that improve domestic energy     
security through increasing reliability1
 relieving congestion1 reducing natural 
gas prices1 and meeting growing demand  
for natural gas2 and  7,d7 take into    
account technological innovations that  
reduce the need for surface disturbance4
  7#c7 ,procedures ,the ,secretary shall
 establish procedures to expedite and   
approve applications for rights-of-way  

for natural gas pipelines across        
,national ,energy ,security ,corridors1 
that--  7,a7 ensure a transparent       
process for review of applications for  
rights-of-way on such corridors2  7,b7  
require an approval time of not more    
than #a year after the date of receipt  
of an application for a right-of-way2   
and  7,c7 require1 upon receipt of such 
an application1 notice to the applicant 
of a predictable timeline for           
consideration of the application1 that  
clearly delineates important milestones 
in the process of such consideration4   
7#d7 ,state input  7,a7 ,requests       
authorized ,the ,governor of a ,state   
may submit requests to the ,secretary of
 the ,interior to designate ,corridors  
on ,federal land in that ,state4  7,b7  
,consideration of requests ,after       
receiving such a request1 the ,secretary
 shall respond in writing1 within #cj   
days-- 7i7 acknowledging receipt of the 
request2 and  7ii7 setting forth a      
timeline in which the ,secretary shall  

grant1 deny1 or modify such request and 
state the reasons for doing so4  7#e7   
,spatial distribution of corridors ,in  
implementing this subsection1 the       
,secretary shall coordinate with other  
,federal ,departments to-- 7,a7 minimize
 the proliferation of duplicative       
natural gas pipeline rights-of-way on   
,federal lands where feasible2  7,b7    
ensure ,corridors can connect           
effectively across ,federal lands2 and  
7,c7 utilize input from utility and     
pipeline industries submitting          
applications for rights-of-way to site  
corridors in economically feasible areas
 that reduce impacts1 to the extent     
practicable1 on local communities4  7#f7
 ,not a major ,federal action           
,designation of a ,corridor under this  
subsection1 and incorporation of        
,corridors into agency plans under      
paragraph 7#a77;,b71 shall not be       
treated as a major ,federal action for  
purpose of section #ajb of the ,national
 ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi   

7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb74  7#g7 ,no limit  
on number or length of ,corridors       
,nothing in this subsection limits the  
number or physical dimensions of        
,corridors that the ,secretary may      
designate under this subsection4  7#h7  
,other authority not affected ,nothing  
in this subsection affects the authority
 of the ,secretary to issue             
rights-of-way on ,federal land that is  
not located in a ,corridor designated   
under this subsection4  7#i7 ,,nepa     
clarification ,all applications for     
rights-of-way for natural gas           
transmission facilities across          
,corridors designated under this        
subsection shall be subject to the      
environmental protections outlined in   
subsection 7h74  4  7b7 ,applications   
received before designation of          
,corridors ,any application for a       
right-of-way under section #bh of the   
,mineral ,leasing ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4   
#ahe7 that is received by the ,secretary
 of the ,interior before designation of 

,national ,energy ,security ,corridors  
under the amendment made by subsection  
7a7 of this section shall be reviewed   
and acted upon independently by the     
,secretary without regard to the process
 for such designation4  7c7 ,deadline   
,within #b years after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of the ,interior shall designate at     
least #aj ,national ,energy ,security   
,corridors under the amendment made by  
subsection 7a7 in contiguous ,states    
referred to in section #cfh7;b7 of the  
,energy ,policy ,act of #bjje 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aeibf7;b774  #c4             
,notification requirement ,the          
,secretary of the ,interior shall       
promptly notify the ,committee on       
,natural ,resources of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,energy and ,natural ,resources of the  
,senate of each instance in which any   
agency or official of the ,department of
 the ,interior fails to comply with any 
schedule established under section      

#ae7;c7 of the ,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae  
,u4,s4,c4 #gagn7c774  ,october #f1 #bjae
 ,reported with an amendment1 committed 
to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house  
on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered
 to be printed