,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #chde  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #i1 #bjbe,mr4  
,gray 7for himself and ,mr4 ,costa7     
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc to   
expand the exemption process under      
section #g of that ,act with respect to 
national security and significant       
adverse national or regional economic   
impacts4  #a4 ,expansion of exemption   
process under section #g of ,endangered 
,species ,act of #aigc ,section #g of   
the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc  
7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aecf7 is amended-- 7#a7 
in subsection 7g7--  7,a7 in paragraph  
7#a71 to read as follows3  7#a7 7,a7 ,a 
,federal agency1 the ,governor of the   
,state in which an agency action will   
occur1 if any1 or a permit or license   
applicant may apply to the ,secretary   
for an exemption for an agency action of
 such agency if1 after consultation     

under subsection 7a77#b71 the           
,secretary's opinion under subsection   
7b7 indicates that--  7i7 the agency    
action would violate subsection 7a77#b72
 or  7ii7 a modification or reasonable  
and prudent alternative necessary for   
the agency action to comply with        
subsection 7a77#b7 may--  7,i7 impair   
national security2 or  7,,ii7 result in 
significant adverse national or regional
 economic impacts4  7,b7 ,an application
 for an exemption shall be considered   
initially by the ,secretary in the      
manner provided for in this subsection1 
and shall be considered by the          
,committee for a final determination    
under subsection 7h7 after a report is  
made pursuant to paragraph 7#e74  7,c7  
,the applicant for an exemption shall be
 referred to as the exemption applicant 
in this section4  2  7,b7 in paragraph  
7#c7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a71 to read
 as follows3  7,a7 determine-- 7i7 that 
the ,federal agency concerned and the   
exemption applicant have--  7,i7 carried

 out the consultation responsibilities  
described in subsection 7a7 in good     
faith and made a reasonable and         
responsible effort to develop and fairly
 consider modifications or reasonable   
and prudent alternatives to the proposed
 agency action which would not violate  
subsection 7a77#b72  7,,ii7 conducted   
any biological assessment required by   
subsection 7c72 and  7,,iii7 to the     
extent determinable within the time     
provided herein1 refrained from making  
any irreversible or irretrievable       
commitment of resources prohibited by   
subsection 7d72 and  7ii7 if the        
exemption applicant submitted to the    
,secretary the application for exemption
 pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,a77ii71   
whether a modification or reasonable and
 prudent alternative necessary for the  
proposed agency action to comply with   
subsection 7a77#b7 may--  7,i7 impair   
national security2 or  7,,ii7 result in 
significant adverse national or regional
 economic impacts2 or  2 and  7ii7 in   

subparagraph 7,b71 by striking 7i71     
7ii71 and 7iii72  7,c7 in paragraph     
7#d71 by striking 7i71 7ii7 and 7iii72  
and  7,d7 in paragraph 7#e7-- 7i7 by    
redesignating subparagraphs 7,b7 through
 7,d7 as subparagraphs 7,c7 through     
7,e71 respectively2 and  7ii7 by        
inserting after subparagraph 7,a7 the   
following3  7,b7 if the exemption       
applicant submitted to the ,secretary   
the application for exemption pursuant  
to paragraph 7#a77;,a77ii71 after       
consultation with the ,national         
,security ,council regarding potential  
impacts to national security and the    
,director of the ,national ,economic    
,council regarding potential significant
 adverse national and regional economic 
impacts1 any impairment to national     
security or significant adverse national
 or regional economic impacts that would
 result from a modification or          
reasonable and prudent alternative      
necessary for the agency action to      
comply with subsection 7a77#b71         

including a description of the analysis 
and conclusions produced by the         
,national ,security ,council and the    
,director of the ,national ,economic    
,council as a result of each such       
consultation2  2 and  7#b7 in subsection
 7h77#a77;,a77i71 to read as follows3   
7i7 7,i7 there are no reasonable and    
prudent alternatives to the agency      
action2 or  7,,ii7 with respect to an   
agency action the application for       
exemption of which was submitted to the 
,secretary pursuant to subsection       
7g77#a77;,a77ii71 a modification or     
reasonable and prudent alternative      
necessary for the agency action to      
comply with subsection 7a77#b7 may--    
7aa7 impair national security2 or  7bb7 
result in significant adverse national  
or regional economic impacts2  4