,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gdce  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #cj1 #bjbj,mr4 
,upton introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition  
to the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1  
and ,technology1 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 reduce methane emissions 
from flaring and venting natural gas    
during oil and natural gas production   
activities1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,methane ,emissions ,reduction     
,act4  #b4 ,methane emissions  7a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary of ,energy shall
 carry out a comprehensive program to   
reduce methane emissions from flaring   
and venting natural gas during oil and  
natural gas production activities1      
recognizing that ,states are the primary

 regulators of oil and natural gas      
production activities and emissions1    
including by-- 7#a7 providing technical 
assistance to ,state and public utility 
commissioners and officials1            
representatives from the energy         
industry1 and other stakeholders from   
,state1 local1 and ,tribal              
organizations2  7#b7 accelerating the   
development and application of          
technologies and practices to reduce    
flaring and venting of natural gas2     
7#c7 maintaining a database that        
summarizes the relevant flaring and     
venting regulations in each of the oil  
and gas producing ,states2 and  7#d7    
informing the ,states and other         
stakeholders of potential options       
available to economically capture and   
utilize natural gas4  7b7 ,report ,not  
later than #bgj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,energy shall submit to the          
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce a   
report describing-- 7#a7 ,federal1      

,state1 and local policies and          
regulations relating to natural gas     
flaring and venting2  7#b7 initiatives  
to accelerate technology solutions to   
reduce natural gas flaring and venting2 
7#c7 barriers to the development and    
commercial application of technologies  
to capture natural gas that would       
otherwise be flared or vented2 and  7#d7
 recommendations to reduce barriers     
described in paragraph 7#c74  7c7       
,technical conference ,in preparing the 
report under subsection 7b71 the        
,secretary of ,energy shall solicit     
input from ,states and local governments
 and representatives of the energy      
industry1 including by convening a      
technical conference and providing an   
opportunity for submission of written   
comments on a draft report4