Energy

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2014

United States · United States House of Representatives · 28 March 2013

NGEAR Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2013

Natural Gas Energy and Alternatives Rewards Act or the NGEAR Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016: (1) the excise tax credits for alternative fuels and alternative fuel mixtures; and (2) the tax credit for depreciable property used for alternative fuel vehicle refueling, including property relating to hydrogen. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to direct the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a rebate program through 2016 for the purchase of alternatively fueled buses by: (1) a public or private entity providing transportation exclusively for school students, personnel, and equipment; or (2) a public entity providing mass transit services to the public. Allows such entities a rebate equal to the lesser of 30% of the purchase price of such a bus or $15,000.

A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to repeal a duplicative program relating to inspection and grading of catfish.

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Repeals a provision of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 establishing an inspection and grading program for catfish and other species of farm-raised fish shellfish effective on the date of enactment of such Act.

Exploring for Geothermal Energy on Federal Lands Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Exploring for Geothermal Energy on Federal Lands Act - Exempts projects determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be geothermal exploration test projects from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines a "geothermal exploration test project" as the drilling of a well to test or explore for geothermal resources on lands leased by the Department of the Interior for the development and production of geothermal resources, that is completed in less than 45 days, that causes less than five acres of soil or vegetation disruption at the location of each well and no more than five additional acres of soil or vegetation disruption during access or egress to the test site, and that is developed: (1) no deeper than 2,500 feet, (2) less than eight inches in diameter, (3) in a manner that does not require off-road motorized access other than to and from the well site along an identified off-road route, (4) without construction of new roads other than upgrading of existing drainage crossings for safety purposes, and (5) with the use of rubber-tired digging or drilling equipment vehicles. Requires the restoration of the project site within three years to approximately the condition that existed at the time the project began, unless the site is subsequently used as part of energy development on the lease. Requires: (1) a leaseholder intending to carry out a geothermal exploration test project to provide notice to the Secretary within 30 days prior to the start of drilling, (2) the Secretary to review a project within 10 days of receipt of such notice and to notify such leaseholder either that such NEPA requirements do not apply or that project deficiencies preclude the NEPA exemption, and (3) the Secretary to allow such leaseholder an opportunity to remedy any such deficiencies prior to the date such leaseholder intended to start drilling.

Planning for American Energy Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Planning for American Energy Act of 2013 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to publish every four years a Quadrennial Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy to direct federal land energy development and department resource allocation in order to promote the energy and national security of the United States in accordance with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mission to promote the multiple use of federal lands. Instructs the Secretary to consult with the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration on the projected energy demands of the United States for the next 30 years and on how energy derived from federal onshore lands can put the United States on a trajectory that meets such demand during the next four years, with a goal for increasing energy independence and production. Requires the Secretary to determine a domestic strategic production objective for the development of energy resources from such lands. Expresses the sense of Congress that federally recognized Indian tribes may elect to set their own production objectives as part of the Strategy. Grants the relevant Secretary all necessary authority to make determinations regarding which additional federal lands available for leasing at the time the lease sale occurs will be available to meet the production objectives established by the strategies. Directs the Secretary also to take all necessary actions to achieve such objectives unless the President determines that it is not in U.S. national security and economic interests to increase federal domestic energy production and to further decrease dependence upon foreign energy sources. Requires the Secretary, within 12 months of this Act's enactment, to complete a programmatic environmental impact statement in accordance with certain requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Deems such statement sufficient to be in compliance with NEPA requirements for all necessary resource management and land use plans associated with implementation of the Strategy. Requires the Secretary to submit to: (1) the President and Congress, each proposed strategy, together with comments received from the affected states, federally recognized tribes, and local governments prior to publishing it; and (2) Congress the first Strategy within 18 months of enactment.

New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an excise tax credit through 2018 for alternative fuels and fuel mixtures involving compressed or liquefied natural gas, (2) allow an income tax credit through 2018 for alternative fuel motor vehicles powered by compressed or liquefied natural gas and make Indian tribal governments eligible for such credit, (3) modify the tax credit percentage for alternative fuel vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas, (4) allow a new tax credit for the production of vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas, and (5) extend through 2018 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures for refueling property relating to compressed or liquefied natural gas and allow an increased credit for such property. Requires the Secretary of Energy to provide funding to improve the performance, efficiency, and integration of natural gas powered motor vehicles and heavy-duty on-road vehicles. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to manufacturers of light and heavy duty natural gas vehicles for the development of engines that reduce emissions, improve performance and efficiency, and lower cost. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should streamline the process for certification of natural gas vehicle retrofit kits to promote energy security and provide incentives to encourage and reward manufacturers who produce natural gas powered vehicles. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to allocate funds for vehicles that are repowered or converted to operate on an alternative fuel.

Reducing Regulatory Obstacles to Wind Energy Production Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Reducing Regulatory Obstacles to Wind Energy Production Act - Exempts projects determined by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service to be meteorological site testing and monitoring projects from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines a "meteorological site testing and monitoring project" as a project that is carried out on land administered by BLM or the Forest Service to test or monitor weather using towers or other devices, that is decommissioned within five years of its commencement, that provides meteorological information to such agencies, that causes less than one acre of soil or vegetation disruption at the location of each meteorological tower or other device and no more than five acres of soil or disruption within the proposed right-of-way for the project, and that is installed: (1) using existing access roads, (2) in a manner that does not require off-road motorized access other than one installation activity and one decommissioning activity along an identified off-road route approved by the BLM Director or the Chief of the Forest Service, (3) without construction of new roads other than upgrading of existing minor drainage crossings for safety purposes, and (4) without the use of digging or drilling equipment vehicles other than rubber-tired vehicles with gross weight ratings under 8,500 pounds. Requires the BLM Director or Chief of the Forest Service: (1) to decide whether to issue a permit for such a project within 30 days after receiving an application for such permit; (2) during such period, to provide an opportunity for public comments and to consult with the heads of agencies that would be affected by issuance of the permit; and (3) to provide to the applicant reasons why an application is denied and an opportunity to remedy any deficiencies. Requires BLM and the Forest Service to treat the meteorological information provided under this Act as proprietary information and to protect it against disclosure.

Advancing Offshore Wind Production Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Advancing Offshore Wind Production Act - Exempts any project determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines an "offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project" as a project that is administered by the Department of the Interior and carried out on or in the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf to test or monitor weather (including wind, tidal, current, and solar energy) using towers, buoys, or other temporary ocean infrastructure and that: (1) causes less than one acre of surface or seafloor disruption at the location of each meteorological tower or other device and no more than five acres of surface or seafloor disruption within the proposed area affected by the project (including hazards to navigation), (2) is decommissioned within five years of its commencement, and (3) provides meteorological information to the Secretary of the Interior. Directs the Secretary to: (1) require that any applicant seeking to conduct an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project on the outer Continental Shelf obtain a permit and right of way; (2) determine whether to issue such a permit and right of way within 30 days after receiving an application; (3) provide an opportunity for submission of comments by the public; (4) consult with the Secretary of Defense (DOD), the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and the heads of other federal, state, and local agencies that would be affected by issuance of the permit and right of way; and (5) provide an applicant the opportunity to remedy deficiencies in an application that was denied.

Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act - Establishes the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument in Arizona. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to manage the Monument as part of the National Landscape Conservation System by allowing only such uses of the Monument that further the purposes for which it was established. Requires the Monument to be managed so as to maintain its undeveloped character and to protect and restore its cultural resources, species, and ecosystems. Directs the Secretary to conduct an inventory of invasive plant species in the Monument. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out vegetation management treatments within the Monument. Permits grazing within the Monument where it is already established. Requires the Secretary to develop a management plan for the Monument. Instructs the Secretary to prepare such plan in government-to-government consultation with Indian tribes having a cultural or historic tie to the Great Bend of the Gila. Allows for the continued use of the Monument by members of tribes for traditional ceremonies and as a source of traditional plants and other materials. Authorizes the Secretary to allow scientific research to be conducted within the Monument, including research for the preservation of the historic and cultural resources of the Monument. Permits the Secretary to conduct or authorize other persons to conduct research regarding the effects of climate change on the Monument's resources. Prohibits renewable energy and transmission development projects from being carried out in the Monument.

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act to repeal a duplicative program relating to inspection and grading of catfish.

United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013

Repeals a provision of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 establishing an inspection and grading program for catfish and other species of farm-raised fish or shellfish effective on the date of enactment of such Act.

PART 7--ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2014 ?

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 March 2013

FAIR Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013

Fixing America's Inequities with Revenues Act of 2013 or FAIR Act of 2013 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit in the Treasury 37.5% of all revenues derived from all rentals, royalties, bonus bids, and other sums payable to the United States from energy development on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas of coastal states (those within 200 nautical miles of a leased tract in the OCS which are not, however, in a Gulf producing state). Excludes from deposit under these terms any revenues generated from the leasing of lands within three miles of seaward boundaries of coastal states. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to disperse: (1) 27.5% of these revenues to coastal states and their political subdivisions; and (2) 10% of such revenues to coastal states that establish funds in their treasuries to support projects relating to alternative and renewable energy, energy research and development, energy efficiency, or conservation. Prescribes requirements for allocating such revenues to coastal states and their coastal subdivisions, with a special rule for Alaska. Limits the allocable share of each coastal state to the revenues collected from a leased tract located no more than 200 nautical miles from the coastline of the state. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse 50% of all revenues derived from all rentals, royalties, bonus bids, rights-of-way, and other amounts payable to the United States from the development of alternative and renewable onshore energy sources to the state within the boundaries of which the energy source is located. Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 by: (1) redefining the term "qualified outer Continental Shelf revenues," and (2) revising the cap on the amount of such qualified revenues that may be made available to Gulf producing states.

Lead Hazard Title X Amendments Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013

Lead Hazard Title X Amendments Act - Amends the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 to revise the purpose for grants for lead-based paint hazard reduction in target housing. Requires such grants to be made instead for reduction of lead-based paint hazards and correction of other housing-related hazards. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a process by which, in order to verify a family's income level, a grantee may first obtain and use income and program participation information from an entity administering: (1) the HOME Investment Partnerships program under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act; (2) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) established under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; (3) reduced price or free lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; (4) the weatherization assistance program for low-income persons established under the Energy Conservation and Production Act; (5) the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA); (6) the supplemental security income (SSI) program under SSA title XVI; or (7) any other program consistent with the family income requirements of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. Makes eligible to apply for such a grant, in addition to certain state or local governments, for specified activities relating to lead-based paint hazards: (1) an Indian tribe, and (2) private nonprofit organization partnering with the state or unit of general local government in which the activities will be carried out. Makes a private nonprofit organization not partnering with a state or local government eligible all the same to apply for a grant to reduce housing-related health hazards, including any condition of residential real property that poses a risk of biological, physical, radiological, or chemical exposure that can adversely affect human health. Revises grantee selection criteria for a grant to carry out activities relating to lead-based paint hazards, and prescribes criteria for activities relating to housing-related hazards. Prescribes an allocation of funds for grants to assess and correct housing-related health hazards and evaluate the effectiveness of such assessments and corrections. Reauthorizes the Act for FY2014-FY2018.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S STRATEGY FOR EXPORTING LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 19 March 2013

AMERICAN ENERGY SECURITY AND INNOVATION: THE ROLE OF REGULATORS AND GRID OPERATORS IN MEETING NATURAL GAS AND ELECTRIC COORDINATION CHALLENGES

United States · United States House of Representatives · 19 March 2013

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2014

United States · United States House of Representatives · 19 March 2013

Rural Energy Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013

Rural Energy Improvement Act - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 regarding the Rural Energy for America Program to: (1) extend the Program through FY2018, (2) create a tiered loan and grant application process that reflects project costs, and (3) prohibit requiring a second meter for on-farm residential portions of rural projects connected to the energy grid.

Flood Mitigation Expense Relief Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013

Flood Mitigation Expense Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow qualified taxpayers a tax credit, up to $5,000 in a taxable year, for flood mitigation expenses. Defines "qualified taxpayer" as: (1) a taxpayer who is the holder of a flood insurance policy under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and who owns insured property for which the chargeable premium rate under such policy was increased or will increase and which has an elevation lower than the base flood elevation or is located in an area designated as having a higher flood risk, and (2) a small business with 50 or fewer employees. Terminates such credit after 2022. Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to carry out: (1) the predisaster hazard mitigation program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and (2) the flood mitigation assistance program authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1969. Specifies that such funds may be used only for mitigation activities and acquisition by states and communities of properties located in higher flood risk areas. Terminates the Energy Star program of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rescinds any amounts not obligated or expended for such program.

Water Resources Development Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013

Water Resources Development Act of 2013 - Title I: Water Resource Projects - Sets forth policy with respect to the authorization, review, and funding of water resources projects authorized by Congress and undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Title II: Water Resources Policy Reforms - Requires the Secretary of the Army (Secretary) to increase and grant priority funding for : (1) continuing authority programs, (2) ecosystem restoration projects, and (3) new studies for flood and hurricane damage reduction projects. Grants priority to hydropower development at dams constructed by the Corps. Authorizes non-federal interests (defined as including states, local governments, federally-recognized Indian tribes, and nonprofit entities) to act as project managers for flood and hurricane damage reduction projects and to conduct feasibility studies for water resources projects. Imposes time and cost limitations on feasibility studies for water resources projects. Revises requirements for water resource development project deauthorizations. Sets forth reporting and review requirements for: (1) water storage pricing formulas, (2) vegetation management policy, (3) restoration of flood and hurricane storm damage reduction projects, (4) dredging operations, (5) invasive species protection, (6) wetlands conservation, and (7) dam repair. Title III: Project Modifications - Amends the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2009 to allow a designee of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources to modify the Chatfield Reservoir Project. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA of 2007) to authorize the Secretary to reimburse members of the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee for travel expenses. Requires the Secretary to include specific project recommendations in the report on the study of flood and storm damage risk reduction in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. Directs the Secretary to consult with other federal agencies, conservation districts, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council, and Montana in carrying out the Lower Yellowstone Project. Deauthorizes specified water resources projects in: (1) Somerset County, Maryland; (2) Deal Island, Maryland; (3) Georges River, Maine; and (4) Warwick Cove, Rhode Island. Amends the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 1998 to repeal a prohibiting against the Secretary constructing the Oak Way or Sky Top detention structures in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, as part of the flood control project for the Green Brook Sub-Basin of the Raritan River Basin. Authorizes the Secretary to reassign unused irrigation storage within a reservoir on the Red River Basin to municipal and industrial water supply if the non-federal interest has already contracted for a share of such supply on the same reservoir. Adds shore protection and erosion control as purposes of the project for Point Judith Harbor of Refuge, Narragansett, Rhode Island. Title IV: Water Resources Studies - Sets conditions on the Secretary initiating new studies to determine the feasibility of carrying out water resources development projects or watershed and river basin assessments. Requires new authorization from Congress before any project evaluated in such a study is constructed. Title V: Regional and Nonproject Provisions - Directs the Secretary to plan, design, and construct projects for aquatic ecosystem restoration within the coastal waters of the northeastern United States from Virginia to Maine. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 to include Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia in the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration and Protection Program. Requires the Secretary to develop a comprehensive Chesapeake Bay restoration plan to guide the implementation of the restoration projects. Removes wastewater treatment and water supply facilities from the eligible projects list. Requires projects carried out on federal lands to be carried out at the expense of the federal agency that owns the land. Permits the agency to accept non-federal contributions for the work. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to reauthorize appropriations for the Rio Grande environmental management program, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into interagency agreements with the Secretary of State to involve the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission in the program. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to increase the authorization of appropriations for Lower Columbia River and Tillamook Bay ecosystem restoration, Oregon and Washington. Directs the Secretary to establish a McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Advisory Committee to provide information and recommendations to the Corps relating to the efficiency, reliability, and availability of the operations of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River navigation system, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a program to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species in the Columbia River Basin in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to: (1) monitor soil moisture and the snowpack in the Upper Missouri River Basin to help reduce flood risk and improve river and water resource management, (2) restore and maintain existing mid- and high-elevation snowpack monitoring sites operated under the SNOTEL program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and (3) operate streamflow gauges and related interpretive studies in the Upper Missouri River Basin under the cooperative water program and the national streamflow information program of the United States Geological Service (USGS). Directs the Secretary to establish a program to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events on communities, water users, and fish and wildlife located in and along the headwaters of the Columbia, Missouri, and Yellowstone Rivers in Idaho and Montana by carrying out river, stream, and floodplain protection and restoration projects. Title VI: Levee Safety - National Levee Safety Program Act - Directs the Secretary to establish a national levee safety program that includes: a national levee database; an inventory and inspection of federal and non-federal levees; national levee safety guidelines; a hazard potential classification system for federal and non-federal levees; research and development; a national public education and awareness program; the coordination of levee safety, floodplain management, and environmental protection activities; the development of state and tribal levee safety programs; and the provision to states and Indian tribes of technical assistance and materials that address levee safety and flood risks. Directs the Secretary to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to establish levee safety programs, conduct levee inventories, and carry out the requirements of this title. Requires the levee safety programs to meet certain guidelines issued by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to provide grants to states, Indian tribes, and local governments to conduct flood mitigation activities that reduce flood risk. Allows grant funds to be used to rehabilitate levees, but not levees that are federally operated and maintained. Requires the Secretary to establish a National Levee Safety Advisory Board. Title VII: Inland Waterways - Establishes project delivery requirements for the Inland Waterways System, including requiring project management training and risk-based cost estimates for qualifying projects. Authorizes the Chief of Engineers to carry out pilot projects to evaluate processes or procedures for the study, design, or construction of qualifying projects. Revises the duties of the Inland Waterways User Board by requiring the Board to provide advice and recommendations to Congress regarding commercial navigation features and components of U.S. inland waterways and harbors and a long-term capital investment program. Requires the Chief of Engineers to communicate at least quarterly to such Board on the status of the study, design, or construction of such features or components. Establishes requirements regarding a 20-year program for making capital investments on inland and intracoastal waterways. Requires the Comptroller General to report on the efficiency of collecting the fuel tax for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Title VIII: Harbor Maintenance - Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Act of 2013 - Requires: (1) the total budget resources made available from such Fund each fiscal year to equal the level of receipts plus interest credited to such Fund for that fiscal year, and (2) such amounts to be used only for harbor maintenance programs. Requires the Chief of Engineers, in allocating amounts from such Fund, to prioritize high-use deep draft projects for which construction is completed. Revises the non-federal share of the cost of operation and maintenance of a deep-draft harbor to 50% of the excess of the cost of the operation and maintenance of such project over the cost that the Secretary determines would be incurred if such project had a depth of 50 feet (currently, 45 feet). Defines operation and maintenance activities that are eligible for the federal cost share. Title IX: Dam Safety - Dam Safety Act of 2013 - Amends the National Dam Safety Program Act to require the head of a federal agency, on request, to provide a state dam safety agency with information on the condition and provisions for emergency operations of any dam the failure of which would affect the state. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to carry out a nationwide public awareness and outreach program to assist the public in preparing for, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from dam incidents. Authorizes appropriations for the National Dam Safety Program for FY2014-FY2018. Title X: Innovative Financing Pilot Projects - Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide financial assistance to carry out pilot projects to develop critical water resources infrastructure, including: a project for flood control or hurricane and storm damage reduction that the Secretary has determined is technically sound, economically justified, and environmentally acceptable; activities that are eligible for assistance under water pollution control revolving loan funds or drinking water state revolving loan funds; projects for enhanced energy efficiency in the operation of a public water system; projects for repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of a treatment works, community water system, or aging water distribution facility; brackish or sea water desalination projects, managed aquifer recharge projects, or water recycling projects; and acquisition of property that is integral to such water resources infrastructure projects or pursuant to an existing plan that would mitigate the environmental impacts of water resources infrastructure projects otherwise eligible for assistance under this title. Specifies activities that are eligible for assistance and project eligibility criteria. Authorizes the Secretary or the EPA Administrator to: (1) enter into agreements to make secured loans to finance eligible project costs, (2) establish fees to cover the costs of making such secured loans, and (3) provide a loan guarantee in lieu of making a secured loan if the budgetary cost of such guarantee is substantially the same as that of a secured loan. Requires the Secretary or the EPA Administrator to establish a uniform system to service the federal credit instruments made available under this title. Authorizes the Secretary or the EPA Administrator to: (1) collect and spend fees at a level that is sufficient to cover the costs of services of experts in the field of municipal and project finance and the costs of servicing such instruments, (2) appoint a financial entity to assist in servicing such instruments, and (3) retain the services of organizations and entities with expertise in such field for such assistance. Authorizes appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 to carry out this title. Title XI: Extreme Weather - Requires the Secretary to enter into enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to carry out a study and make recommendations relating to options for reducing risk to human life and property from extreme weather events. Requires the Comptroller General to submit a study of the strategies used by the Corps for the comprehensive management of water resources in response to floods, storms, and droughts. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out: (1) a watershed assessment in a major disaster area to identify specific flood risk reduction, hurricane and storm damage reduction, or ecosystem restoration project recommendations that will help to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and reduce risks to human life and property from future natural disasters; and (2) one or more small projects identified under such assessment that the Secretary would otherwise by authorized to carry out under specified Acts. Requires such an assessment to be initiated within two years after the declaration of a major disaster. Authorizes appropriations for FY2014-FY2018.

Deepwater Drilling Royalty Relief Prohibition Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013

Deepwater Drilling Royalty Relief Prohibition Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from issuing any oil or gas lease sale under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act with royalty-based incentives in any tract located in water depths of 400 meters or more on the outer Continental Shelf. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for deepwater oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude). Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary from reducing or eliminating any royalty or net profit share for any lease or unit located in water depths of 400 meters or more on the outer Continental Shelf.

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act - Modifies the current framework governing the management of information technology (IT) within the federal government to: (1) require presidential appointment or designation of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in 16 specified federal agencies (thereby providing consistency with the presidential appointment or designation of Chief Financial Officers for such agencies, but specifically excludes the Department of Defense [DOD] and provides for the heads of other agencies to continue to designate an agency CIO), (2) designate the Chief Information Officers Council as the lead interagency forum for improving agency coordination information resources investment, and (3) require the Comptroller General (GAO) to examine the effectiveness of the Council. Directs such CIOs to report directly to the head of the agency. Sets forth authorities relating to budget planning and the hiring of IT personnel. Requires each agency to have only one CIO but permits offices within an agency to designate a deputy, associate, or assistant CIO. Requires the Federal Chief Information Officer (FCIO) (defined as the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government in the Office of Management and Budget [OMB]) to develop and implement an initiative to be known as the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative to optimize the usage and efficiency of federal data centers. Sets forth permitted methods for agencies to consolidate data centers and achieve maximum server utilization and energy efficiency. Requires agencies to track costs resulting from implementation of the Initiative within the agency and submit an annual report on such costs to the FCIO. Requires the OMB Director to: (1) develop a plan for conducting a government-wide inventory of IT assets, and (2) assess all publicly available websites of federal agencies and require agencies to eliminate or consolidate any duplicate or overlapping websites. Expresses the sense of Congress that transition to cloud computing offers significant potential benefits for the the implementation of federal IT projects. Permits CIOs to establish cloud service working capital funds. Prohibits an executive agency from issuing a solicitation for certain covered contract vehicles unless the agency performs a business case analysis and obtains approval from the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy (FPP). Directs the OMB Director to: (1) establish a Federal Infrastructure and Common Application Collaboration Center to serve as a focal point for coordinated program management practices and to develop and maintain requirements for the acquisition of IT infrastructure and applications commonly used by federal agencies, and (2) designate Assisted Acquisition Centers of Excellence (AACEs) to develop areas of specialized acquisition expertise within various executive agencies. Sets forth authority for AACEs to implement best practices, assist agencies in expedient and low-cost interagency acquistions by engaging in repeated and frequent acquisition of similar IT requirements, and assist with recruitment and training. Requires the OMB Director to submit to Congress: (1) a five-year strategic plan to develop, strengthen, and solidify IT acquisition cadres; and (2) a plan for improving management of IT programs and projects. Directs the FPP Administrator to prescribe regulations requiring a comparative value analysis to be included in the contract file when the federal government purchases services and supplies offered under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative from sources outside such Initiative. Permits executive agencies to state in solicitations that awards will be made using a fixed price technical competition under which all offerors compete solely on nonprice factors and the fixed award price is pre-announced in the solicitation. Requires additional information concerning blanket purchase agreements and IT investments to be made available to the public. Establishes guidance with respect to the validity of open source software as a procurement option required to receive full consideration alongside other options (in merit-based requirements development and evaluation processes promoting choices based on performance and value) in a manner free of preconceived preferences based on how technology is developed, licensed, or distributed within the federal government. Prohibits such guidance from modifying the federal policy of following technology-neutral principles when selecting and acquiring information technology. Requires federal computer standards to include guidelines necessary to enable effective adoption of open source software. Directs the OMB Director to issue guidance for the use and collaborative development of open source software within the federal government.

Leave our Lakes Alone Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013

Leave our Lakes Alone Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to prohibit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from considering public use and environmental purposes in issuing a license for a project in a state whose law expressly authorizes such a prohibition. Defines "public use and environmental purposes" to mean the purposes of energy conservation, the protection, mitigation of damage to, and enhancement of, fish and wildlife, the protection of recreational opportunities, the preservation of other aspects of environmental quality, and other beneficial public uses, including irrigation, flood control, and water supply, as such purposes apply to land within a project boundary above the highest target elevation for normal operations of the project. Exempts projects on federal land from application of this Act.

An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2013, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023.

United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013

Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2013, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2015-FY2023. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts for FY2013-FY2023 with respect to: (1) federal revenues, (2) new budget authority, (3) budget outlays, (4) deficits, (5) public debt, and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for the Social Security Administration (SSA), including the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, U.S. Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses, and specified major functional categories for FY2013-FY2023. Sets forth reconciliation instructions for the Senate Committee on Finance. Authorizes certain deficit-neutral reserve funds: to replace sequestration, promote employment and job growth, assist working families and children, invest in clean energy and preserve the environment, improve federal benefit processing, promote manufacturing in the United States, improve health outcomes and lower costs for children in Medicaid, and improve federal workforce development, job training, and reemployment programs; and for early childhood education, tax relief, investment in America's infrastructure, America's servicemembers and veterans, higher education, health care, investments in our nation's counties and schools, a farm bill, investments in water infrastructure and resources, pension reform, housing finance reform, national security, overseas contingency operations, terrorism risk insurance, postal reform, government reform and efficiency, legislation to improve voter registration and the voting experience in federal elections, improving federal forest management, financial transparency, and for the minimum wage. Authorizes a certain reserve fund for tax reform. Establishes certain deficit-reduction reserve funds: (1) for government reform and efficiency, and (2) to promote corporate tax fairness. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would cause the discretionary spending limits in this resolution to be exceeded, except by a supermajority waiver. Specifies such discretionary spending limits in the Senate for FY2013-FY2014. Provides for adjustments to budgetary aggregates and allocations for: designated emergency requirements, continuing disability reviews, health care fraud and abuse control, disaster relief, and adjustments for overseas contingency operations. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would require advanced appropriations, other than for: (1) up to $28.852 billion in new budget authority in FY2015-FY2016 for programs, projects, activities, or accounts identified in the joint explanatory statement of managers accompanying this resolution; (2) the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and (3) the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical Facilities accounts of the Veterans Health Administration. Authorizes adjustments in committee allocations and all other budgetary aggregates, allocations, levels, and limits contained in this resolution for sequestration or sequestration replacement purposes. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any appropriations legislation, amendment, motion, or conference report that includes any provision that constitutes changes in certain mandatory programs affecting the Crime Victims Fund, except by a supermajority waiver. Requires Senate committees to: (1) review programs and tax expenditures in their jurisdictions to identify waste, fraud, and abuse or duplication, and to increase the use of performance data to inform committee work; (2) review the matters for congressional consideration identified on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) High Risk list report and the annual report to reduce program duplication; and (3) make recommendations to the Senate Budget Committee to improve governmental performance in their annual views and estimates reports. Requires the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on any budget resolution in the Senate to include in its committee allocations to the Committees on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the SSA and of the Postal Service. Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), when it releases its annual Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook, to: (1) report changes in direct spending and revenue associated with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, including the net impact on deficit, both with on-budget and off-budget effects; and (2) provide an analysis of the budgetary effects of 30%, 50%, and 100% of Americans losing employer sponsored health insurance and accessing coverage through federal or state exchanges.

Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013

Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act - Establishes the Manhattan Project National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System, which may be composed of specified facilities, lands, or interests in one or more eligible areas or parts of such areas in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington. Requires inclusion of the B Reactor National Historic Landmark in Hanford. Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to enter into an agreement to govern their respective roles in administering the facilities, lands, or interests in land under the DOE's jurisdiction to be included in the Park. Adds to the Park lands, interests in land, or facilities within the eligible areas which are acquired by the Secretary or are included in an amendment to the agreement. Requires the Secretary to develop a general management plan for the Park in consultation and collaboration with the Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Richland DOE site offices. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide interpretive tours of historically significant Manhattan Project sites and resources in Tennessee, New Mexico, and Washington state that are located outside the boundary of the Park; and (2) enter into one or more agreements with the head of a federal agency to provide public access to, and management, interpretation, and historic preservation of, historically significant Project resources under the agency's control. Prohibits the acquisition by condemnation of any land or interest in land under, or for the purposes of, this Act.

Northern Route Approval Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013

Northern Route Approval Act - Declares that a presidential permit shall not be required for the pipeline described in the application filed on May 4, 2012, by TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to the Department of State for the Keystone XL pipeline, including the Nebraska reroute evaluated in the Final Evaluation Report issued by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality in January 2013 and approved by the Nebraska governor. Deems the final environmental impact statement issued by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, coupled with such Final Evaluation Report, to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and of the National Historic Preservation Act. Grants original and exclusive jurisdiction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to determine specified issues (except for review by the Supreme Court on writ of certiorari). Deems the Secretary of the Interior to have issued a written statement setting forth the Secretary's opinion that the Keystone XL pipeline project will not jeopardize the continued existence of the American burying beetle or destroy or adversely modify American burying beetle critical habitat. States that any taking of the American burying beetle that is incidental to the construction or operation and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline shall not be considered a prohibited taking of such species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Deems the Secretary to have issued: (1) a grant of right-of-way and temporary use permit pursuant to the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and (2) a special purpose permit under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (described in a certain application filed with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the Keystone XL pipeline). Directs the Secretary of the Army to issue permits pursuant the Rivers and Harbors Appropriations Act of 1899 for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline. Authorizes such Secretary to waive any procedural requirement that the Secretary considers desirable in order to accomplish the purposes of this Act. Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from prohibiting or restricting an activity or use of an area that is authorized under this Act.

Establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023.

United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013

Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2014, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2015-FY2023. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts for FY2014-FY2023 with respect to: (1) federal revenues, (2) new budget authority, (3) budget outlays, (4) deficits (on-budget), (5) debt subject to limit, and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority and outlays for specified major functional categories for FY2014-FY2023. Sets forth reconciliation instructions for the House Committees on: (1) Agriculture, (2) Education and the Workforce, (3) Energy and Commerce, (4) Financial Services, (5) the Judiciary, (6) Natural Resources, (7) Oversight and Government Reform, and (8) Ways and Means. Requires the House Committee on the Budget to report a reconciliation bill that achieves deficit reduction. Lists recommended revenue, spending, and deficit levels and amounts for FY2030, FY2040, and FY2050 as a percent of the federal gross domestic product (GDP) with respect to: (1) federal revenues, (2) budget outlays, and (3) deficits. Authorizes a certain reserve fund to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care-related provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (2010 health care laws). Authorizes certain deficit-neutral reserve funds: to reform the 2010 health care laws, to repeal all or part of the decreases in Medicare spending included in them, for the sustainable growth rate of the Medicare program, to reform the tax code, to implement a trade agreement, for revenue measures that would not increase the deficit for FY2014-FY2023, and for rural counties and schools. Authorizes the chair of the House Budget Committee to revise the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this budget resolution to accommodate the enactment of a deficit and long-term debt reduction agreement if it includes permanent spending reductions and reforms to direct spending programs. Establishes means-tested direct spending: (1) at 6.7% for the average rate of growth in the total level of outlays during the 10-year period preceding FY2014, and (2) at 6.2% under current law for the estimated average rate of growth in the total level of outlays during the 10-year period beginning with FY2014. Proposes the following reforms for means-tested directed spending: converting the federal share of Medicaid spending into a flexible state allotment tailored to meet each state’s needs, indexed for inflation and population growth; converting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into such a state allotment; and increasing the Department of Agriculture Thrifty Food Plan index and beneficiary growth. Establishes at 5.9% for non-means-tested direct spending for such average rate of growth and at 5.3% under current law for such estimated average rate growth. Proposes reforms for non-means-tested direct spending: (1) with respect to Medicare, by advancing specified policies to put seniors, not the federal government, in control of their health care decisions; and (2) by calling for federal employees, including Members of Congress and congressional staff, to make greater contributions toward their own retirement. Authorizes the chair to adjust the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate budgetary levels for veterans programs, Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT), or committee allocation to the Committee on Appropriations specified in the report of this resolution to conform with the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act (as adjusted by the Budget Control Act of 2011). Makes it out of order in the House to consider legislation reported out of committee (other than the Committee on Appropriations) if it has the net effect of increasing direct spending in excess of $5 billion for any of the four consecutive 10-fiscal-year periods beginning with FY2024. Requires the report or the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on this budget resolution to include in its allocation to the House Committee on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and of the Postal Service. Authorizes the chair to adjust allocations and aggregates for legislation reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that reforms the federal retirement system, but does not cause a net increase in the deficit for FY2014-FY2023. Counts legislation that transfers funds from the general fund of the Treasury to the Highway Trust Fund as new budget authority and outlays equal to the amount of the transfer in the fiscal year in which the transfer occurs. Provides a separate allocation in the House to the Committee on Appropriations for OCO/GWAT for FY2014. Declares the policy of this resolution on: economic growth and job creation, tax reform, Medicare reform, Social Security, higher education affordability, deficit reduction through the cancellation of unobligated balances, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, deficit reduction through the reduction of unnecessary and wasteful spending, and unauthorized spending. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives on the importance of child support enforcement.

U.S. ENERGY SECURITY: ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS WITH MEXICO AND CANADA

United States · United States House of Representatives · 14 March 2013

A bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities for the import of crude oil and other hydrocarbons at the United States-Canada Border at Phillips County, Montana, in accordance with a certain application filed with the Department of State on May 4, 2012. Declares that no Executive Order, provision of law, or presidential permit shall be required for such facilities. Deems a certain Environmental Impact Statement issued by the Secretary of State and other specified documents to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as well as any other law requiring federal agency consultation or review regarding such cross-border facilities. Keeps in effect any federal permit or authorization issued before the enactment of this Act for the facilities described in this Act and for related facilities in the United States. Restricts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit any federal judicial review over actions and facilities implemented under this Act.

Clean Energy Race to the Top Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Clean Energy Race to the Top Act of 2013 - Establishes in the Department of Energy (DOE) a program to provide grants to eligible entities, on a competitive basis, to develop and carry out clean energy and carbon reduction measures, such as renewable electricity standards, regional or statewide climate action plans, and participation in a regional greenhouse gas reduction program. Directs the Secretary of Energy, in establishing criteria for grants, to take into account: (1) regional disparities in the ways in which energy is produced and used, and (2) the clean energy resource potential of the measures. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to decrease the tax deduction for oil related qualified production activities income of major integrated oil companies.

A bill to amend the Federal Power Act to remove the authority of the Federal Energy Commission to collect land use fees for land that has been sold, exchanged, or otherwise transferred from Federal ownership but that is subject to a power site reservation.

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Amends the Federal Power Act regarding annual charges payable by licensees to the United States for use of federal lands to exclude land that has been sold, exchanged, or otherwise transferred from federal ownership, yet remains subject to a power site reservation under the Act.

WAVE4 Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Waterways Are Vital for the Economy, Energy, Efficiency, and Environment Act of 2013 or WAVE4 Act - Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to require certain delivery process reforms for qualifying construction and major rehabilitation projects for navigation infrastructure of inland and intracoastal waterways. Directs the Secretary, working in conjunction with the Inland Waterways Users Board, to submit to Congress a 20-year program for making capital investments on inland and intracoastal waterways. Authorizes such program to be based on the 20-year capital investment strategy contained in the Inland Marine Transportation System (IMTS) Capital Projects Business Model, Final Report published on April 13, 2010, as approved by the Board. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit expenditures from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to 50% of the total cost of the construction or rehabilitation project. Makes Fund amounts unavailable for: (1) construction or rehabilitation of dams, or (2) rehabilitation expenditures that do not equal or exceed $100 million.

Keep American Natural Gas Here Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Keep American Natural Gas Here Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept bids on any new oil and gas leases of federal lands (including submerged lands) under the Mineral Leasing Act or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act only from bidders certifying that all natural gas produced pursuant to such leases will be offered for sale only in the United States. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to prohibit granting a new right-of-way for a natural gas pipeline unless the right-of-way applicant certifies that all natural gas transported via such pipeline will be offered for sale only in the United States. Declares this Act without force or effect 10 years after enactment of this Act. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior and the Comptroller General to report separately to Congress on the impact of this Act upon: (1) natural gas production on federal lands, (2) consumption of natural gas in the United States, and (3) prices and markets for natural gas in the United States.

Keep America's Oil Here Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Keep America's Oil Here Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept bids on any new oil and gas leases of federal lands (including submerged lands) only from bidders certifying that all crude oil produced under such leases, and all refined petroleum products made from such crude oil, shall be offered for sale only in the United States. Authorizes the President to waive such limited leasing authorization upon specified determinations, including that waiver is in the national interest because it will not lead to: (1) an increase in domestic consumption of crude oil obtained from countries hostile to U.S. interests or that have political and economic instability compromising energy supply security, (2) higher costs to oil refiners purchasing the crude oil than the refiners would have to pay in the absence of such a waiver, and (3) higher gasoline costs paid by consumers than they would have to pay in the absence of such a waiver. Declares this Act without force or effect 10 years after enactment of this Act. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior and the Comptroller General to report separately to Congress on the impact of this Act upon: (1) oil production on federal lands, (2) consumption of oil and refined petroleum products in the United States, and (3) prices and markets for oil and refined petroleum products in the United States.

MORE Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Maximize Offshore Resource Exploration Act of 2013 or MORE Act of 2013 - Declares without force or effect all federal prohibitions against the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Revokes all withdrawals of federal submerged lands from leasing for oil and natural gas exploration and production. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from granting an oil or natural gas lease for any OCS located within 25 miles of a state coastline unless the state has enacted a law approving the issuance of such leases by the Secretary. Sets forth an allocation schedule for a: (1) 75% state share of revenues derived from U.S. royalties under qualified oil and gas leases on submerged lands located within the seaward boundaries of a state, and (2) 90% state share of revenues derived from royalties under leases that are located within 25 miles of the coastline of a state and within the seaward boundaries. Extends the jurisdiction of state civil and criminal law, as appropriate, to the Alaska, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic OCS Region State Adjacent Zones and OCS Planning Areas. Establishes a separate account in the Treasury to be known as the Renewable Energy Reserve, consisting of 12.5% of revenues derived from U.S. royalties under such oil and gas leases located within the seaward boundaries and 5% of revenues derived from leases located within 25 miles of the coastline of a state and within the seaward boundaries. Makes the Reserve available to offset the cost of subsequently enacted legislation to: (1) accelerate the use of cleaner domestic energy resources and alternative fuels; (2) promote the utilization of energy-efficient products and practices; and (3) increase research, development, and deployment of clean renewable energy and efficiency technologies and job training programs for those purposes.

American Natural Gas Security and Consumer Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

American Natural Gas Security and Consumer Protection Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act to prohibit any person from exporting any natural gas from the United States to a foreign country without first having secured an order of the Secretary of Energy (DOE) authorizing such person to do so. Allows the Secretary to issue an order authorizing such exportation, upon application, if the Secretary determines that the proposed exportation will be consistent with the public interest. Requires the Secretary to issue an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 on such an order, including by analyzing the impacts of extraction of exported natural gas on the environment in communities where the natural gas is extracted. Directs the Secretary to issue final regulations for determining whether an export of natural gas from the United States to a foreign country is in the public interest. Exempts any export authorization order from such EIS and public interest requirements if the natural gas would be exported solely to meet certain requirements of: (1) the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (regarding presidential foreign exchange transaction authorities), (2) the Trading with the Enemy Act (regarding such transaction authorities in wartime), or (3) the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (regarding the International Energy Program). Authorizes the Secretary to issue such an order upon application in such cases without modification or delay.

BREATHE Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013

Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects Act or the BREATHE Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to repeal prohibitions against: (1) aggregating emissions from any oil or gas exploration or production well and emissions from any pipeline compressor or pump station with emissions from other similar units, whether or not such units are in a contiguous area or under common control, to determine whether such units or stations are major sources of listed toxic air pollutants under such Act; (2) aggregating such emissions for any purpose under such Act, in the case of any oil or gas exploration or production well; and (3) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listing an oil and gas production well as an area source category of toxic air pollutants under such Act. Requires the Administrator to: (1) issue a final rule adding hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants; and (2) revise such list within 365 days after issuing such rule to include categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources of hydrogen sulfide, including oil and gas wells.

FEDERAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES: ASSESSING COSTS AND BENEFITS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 13 March 2013

Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013

Hydropower Improvement Act of 2013 - Declares the sense of the Senate that the United States should increase substantially the capacity and generation of clean, renewable hydropower which will improve the environmental quality of resources and support local job creation and economic investment across the United States. Defines "conduit" to specify any tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance operated for the distribution of water for agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumption and not primarily for the generation of electricity. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to: (1) investigate the feasibility of issuing a license for certain hydropower development at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects during a two-year period beginning on commencement of the FERC prefiling licensing process (two-year process); and (2) hold workshops on how to implement a two-year process, develop criteria for identifying hydropower development projects at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects that may be appropriate for licensing within a two-year process, and develop pilot projects to test such a process. Amends the Federal Power Act to revise the limitation on the maximum installment capacity of qualifying conduit hydropower facilities eligible for exemption from licensing requirements. Waives such requirements for any conduit hydroelectric facility that: (1) uses for electric power generation only the hydroelectric potential of a non-federally owned conduit, (2) has a maximum installed capacity of five megawatts, and (3) is not currently licensed or exempted from license requirements. Authorizes FERC to exempt from license requirements any electric power generation facility that utilizes for such generation only the hydroelectric potential of a conduit, and has an installed capacity or 40 megawatts or fewer. Requires any person, state, or municipality proposing to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower facility to file with FERC a notice of intent to do so. Requires FERC, within 15 days after receiving a notice of intent, to make an initial determination whether the facility meets the qualifying criteria. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to increase from 5,000 to 10,000 kilowatts the size of small hydroelectric power projects which FERC may exempt from its license requirements. Authorizes FERC to extend the preliminary permit period for up to two additional years if it finds that the permittee has implemented activities under the permit in good faith and with reasonable diligence. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to study and report to congressional committees on: (1) the technical flexibility that existing pumped storage facilities can provide to support intermittent renewable electric energy generation, including the potential for those facilities to be upgraded or retrofitted with advanced commercially available technology; and (2) the technical potential of existing pumped storage facilities and new advanced pumped storage facilities to provide grid reliability benefits. Directs the President to report to certain congressional committees on actions taken by DOE, the Department of the Interior, and the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a certain memorandum of understanding on hydropower, with particular emphasis on actions taken by the agencies to work together and facilitate the federal permitting process for federal and non-federal hydropower projects at federal facilities.

Quadrennial Energy Review Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013

Quadrennial Energy Review Act of 2013 - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to direct the President to establish an interagency energy coordination council to coordinate the Quadrennial Energy Review to provide an integrated view of national energy objectives and federal energy policy, including maximum practicable alignment of research programs, incentives, regulations, and partnerships. Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to report to Congress on the Quadrennial Energy Review, including an integrated view of short-, intermediate-, and long-term objectives for federal energy policy in the context of economic, environmental, and security priorities. Requires the Secretary to provide the Executive Secretariat with the necessary analytical, financial, and administrative support for the conduct of each Quadrennial Energy Review.

Solar Energy Deployment Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013

Solar Energy Deployment Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to award competitive grants to state and local governments for the design, purchase, and installation of qualifying solar equipment on rooftops or parking structures owned by the state or local government. Directs the Secretary, in determining grant recipients, to consider: (1) the speed with which solar energy systems can be deployed, (2) the total amount of solar energy to be deployed, (3) financial need, (4) the use of best practices to ensure maximum efficiency of deployed systems, and (5) the use of materials and components that are manufactured in the United States.

Small Business Clean Energy Financing Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013

Small Business Clean Energy Financing Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program to guarantee loans of small businesses that manufacture a clean energy technology in the United States. Requires the Administrator, to the extent practicable, to carry out the program in a manner similar to the SBA 7(a) general business loan program.

Providing for the expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress.

United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013

Sets forth the levels of payment for 113th Congress expenses (including staff salaries) for the Committees on: (1) Agriculture; (2) Armed Services; (3) the Budget; (4) Education and the Workforce; (5) Energy and Commerce; (6) Ethics; (7) Financial Services; (8) Foreign Affairs; (9) Homeland Security; (10) House Administration; (11) Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; (12) the Judiciary; (13) Natural Resources; (14) Oversight and Government Reform; (15) Rules; (16) Science, Space, and Technology; (17) Small Business; (18) Transportation and Infrastructure; (19) Veterans' Affairs; and (20) Ways and Means. Prescribes limitations to such expenses for the 1st and 2nd sessions of the 113th Congress. Establishes a reserve fund for unanticipated committee expenses for the 113th Congress. Authorizes the Committee on HouseAdministration to make adjustments to the committee expense accounts, if necessary to comply with a sequestration order by the President issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to enforce a specified budget goal or to conform to any change in appropriations for purposes in this Act.

National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013

National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2013 - Declares that it is the continuing policy of the United States to promote an adequate and stable supply of minerals to maintain the nation's economic well-being, security, and manufacturing, industrial, energy, agricultural, and technological capabilities. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (Survey), to report to Congress: (1) an inventory of the nonfossil-fuel mineral potential of lands under BLM and U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction; (2) an identification of all such lands that have been withdrawn, segregated, or otherwise restricted from mineral exploration and development; (3) a detailed description of the time required to process mineral applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for mineral-related activities on lands; (4) an itemized list of all use authorizations for which applications are pending; (5) an assessment of the impact of litigation on the processing or issuing of permits; (6) an assessment of the federal workforce with educational degrees and expertise in economic geology, geochemistry, mining, industrial minerals, metallurgy, metallurgical engineering, and mining engineering; and (7) an inventory of rare earth element potential on federal lands, and impediments to or restrictions on the exploration or development of those rare earth elements, with recommendations to lift the impediments or restrictions while maintaining environmental safeguards. Requires progress reports to Congress on: (1) efforts to increase access to domestic supplies of minerals, and facilitation of their production; (2) implementation of recommendations in National Research Council reports on "Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy" and on "Managing Minerals for a Twenty-First Century Military"; (3) the Department of Energy (DOE) Critical Materials Strategy I and II; and (4) a specified Department of Defense (DOD) assessment and plan for critical rare earth elements in defense applications. Directs the Survey, for the first National Mineral Assessment conducted after enactment of this Act, to include mineral assessments for mineral commodities important to the nation's energy infrastructure, manufacturing and agricultural industries, and to the national defense. Urges priority be given to minerals that are critical based on the impact of a potential supply restriction and the likelihood of a supply restriction. Directs the Survey to expand the current Global Mineral Assessment to include mineral assessments for rare earth elements and other minerals that are critical based on the impact of a potential supply restriction and the likelihood of a supply restriction. Requires such assessments to include an analysis, developed with participation by the National Minerals Information Center, of the rare earth elements or other critical minerals supply chain and associated processes and products, including mining, processing, recycling, separation, metal production, alloy production, and manufacturing of products sold to end users.

A bill to clarify the role of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma regarding the maintenance of the W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam in the State of Oklahoma.

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2013

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to modify provisions authorizing the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to design and construct hydroelectric generating facilities at the W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. Authorizes such Nation to market the electricity generated from any such facility. Requires such Nation to obtain any permit required by federal or state law before the date on which construction begins on such facilities, except that the Nation shall be exempt from any licensing requirements under the Federal Power Act related to the construction, operation, and maintenance of hydroelectric generating facilities. Authorizes: (1) such Nation to initiate design and construction only after the Secretary of the Army reviews and approves the plans and specifications, and (2) the Secretary to accept and use funds offered by such Nation to carry out the design and construction. Requires such Nation to: (1) bear all costs associated with the design and construction, and (2) provide any funds necessary for the design and construction to the Secretary prior to the Secretary initiating related activities. Provides that such Nation shall hold all title to any hydroelectric generating facility constructed under this Act and may assign such title to a third party, subject to the Secretary's approval. Requires such Nation to: (1) be solely responsible for the operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and rehabilitation of, and the marketing of the electricity generated by, any such facility; and (2) release and indemnify the United States from all liabilities that may arise out of any activity undertaken to carry out this Act. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary to provide any technical and construction management assistance that is requested by such Nation relating to such design and construction, and (2) such Nation to enter into agreements necessary to carry out this Act with the Secretary or a third party.

TALENT Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2013

To Aid Gifted and High-Ability Learners by Empowering the Nation's Teachers Act or the TALENT Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require state assessments of student proficiency to measure individual academic achievement, including above grade level achievement. Requires states to: (1) recognize local educational agencies (LEAs) that significantly increase the proportion of their students, overall and in specified student subgroups, that score at or above the advanced level of achievement on such assessments; (2) assist their LEAs and schools in providing additional educational assistance to advanced, gifted, and talented students; and (3) report annually a comparison of the performance of students between different LEAs at each level of achievement, disaggregated by specified student subgroups. Requires LEAs receiving school improvement funds to identify gifted and talented students and support their learning needs. Requires LEAs and partnerships that receive funding under the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund program to train educators to identify gifted and talented students and implement instructional practices that support their education. Authorizes LEAs to use funding under: (1) the small rural school achievement program to support gifted and talented students, and (2) the rural and low-income school program to train teachers to meet the unique learning needs of gifted and talented students. Directs the Secretary, through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, to: (1) continue research and development activities regarding the education of gifted and talented students; (2) support a National Research and Dissemination Center on the Gifted and Talented; (3) administer demonstration grants that enhance the ability of educators to support gifted and talented students; and (4) ensure that statistical data regarding the education of gifted and talented children is collected, reported, analyzed, and disseminated. Amends the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 to require the committee established to coordinate federal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education programs to encourage participating agencies to develop and implement programs for advanced students. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 to require the Secretary of Energy to use academic achievement as the basis for student participation in the Department of Energy's (DOE's) mathematics and science education programs for elementary and secondary school students and its prefreshman science, mathematics, and technology enrichment program for middle school students. Amends the America COMPETES Act to give Advanced Placement (AP) program and International Baccalaureate (IB) program grant priority to eligible entities that are part of a statewide strategy to increase the availability of AP or IB mathematics, science, and critical foreign language courses by making such courses available earlier than usual to students who are prepared for the work.

Public Power Risk Management Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2013

Public Power Risk Management Act of 2013 - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), when it determines whether to provide an exemption to designation as a swap dealer, to treat a utility operations-related swap entered into with a utility special entity as if such swap were entered into with an entity that is not a special entity. (Thus exempts an entity entering into a utility operations-related swap with a utility special entity from mandatory registration as a swap dealer.) Requires transactions in utility operations-related swaps to be reported according to requirements for the reporting of uncleared swaps. Defines "utility special entity" as a special entity, or any instrumentality, department, or corporation of or established by a state or local government, that: (1) owns or operates an electric or natural gas facility or an electric or natural gas operation; (2) supplies natural gas or electric energy to another utility special entity; (3) has public service obligations under federal, state, or local law or regulation to deliver electric energy or natural gas service to customers; or (4) is a federal power marketing agency. Redefines swap to include a utility operations-related swap. Defines "utility operations-related swap" as one that: (1) is entered into to hedge or mitigate commercial risk; (2) is associated with specified transactions in electric energy or natural gas; and (3) is not a contract, agreement, or transaction based on, derived on, or referencing an interest rate, credit, equity, or currency asset class; or a metal, agricultural commodity, or crude oil or gasoline commodity of any grade, except as used as fuel for electric energy generation.

Ernest J. Moniz, of Massachusetts, to be Secretary of Energy, vice Steven Chu.

United States · United States Senate · 7 March 2013

BUILD Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2013

Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2013 or the BUILD Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to include among entities eligible for brownfields revitalization funding: (1) a tax-exempt charitable organization, (2) a limited liability corporation in which all managing members are tax-exempt charitable organizations or limited liability corporations whose sole members are such organizations, (3) a limited partnership in which all general partners are tax-exempt charitable organizations or limited liability corporations whose sole members are such organizations, or (4) a qualified community development entity. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a program to provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites in a proposed area. Revises the brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program to authorize an eligible entity that is a governmental entity to receive a grant for property acquired by such governmental entity prior to January 11, 2002, even if the governmental entity does not qualify as a bona fide prospective purchaser as defined under such Act. Increases the maximum amount the President may give in grants and loans to eligible entities for brownfield remediation. Repeals prohibitions on giving grants and loans for brownfields revitalization for administrative costs and the cost of complying with federal law. Excludes from the meaning of "administrative costs" costs for investigating and identifying the extent of the contamination, designing and performing a response action, or monitoring a natural resource. Requires the Administrator to give priority to small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, or low-income areas with a population of not more than 15,000 in providing assistance to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation. Requires the Administrator, in giving grants for brownfields revitalization, to give consideration to waterfront brownfield sites. Requires the Administrator to establish a program to provide grants to: (1) carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, feasibility analysis, design, or remediation activities to locate a clean energy project at brownfield sites; and (2) capitalize a revolving loan fund for such purposes. Authorizes the Administrator to provide grants for state response programs. Extends the authorizations of appropriations for brownfields revitalization funding and state response programs.

Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2013

Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act - Establishes the Manhattan Project National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System, which may be composed of specified facilities, lands, or interests in one or more eligible areas or parts of such areas in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington. Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to enter into an agreement to govern their respective roles in administering the facilities, lands, or interests in land under the DOE's jurisdiction to be included in the Park. Adds to the Park lands, interests in land, or facilities within the eligible areas which are acquired by the Secretary or are included in an amendment to the agreement. Requires the Secretary to develop a general management plan for the Park. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide interpretive tours of historically significant Manhattan Project sites and resources in Tennessee, New Mexico, and Washington state that are located outside the boundary of the Park; and (2) enter into one or more agreements with the head of a federal agency to provide public access to, and management, interpretation, and historic preservation of, historically significant Project resources under the agency's control.

Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2013

Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2013 - Title I: Vehicle Research and Development - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to conduct a program of basic and applied research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities on materials, technologies, and processes with the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate petroleum use by, and emissions from, the nation's passenger and commercial vehicles. Requires the program to include activities in the areas of: hybridization or full electrification of vehicle systems; batteries, ultracapacitors, and other energy storage devices; power electronics; engine efficiency and combustion optimization; waste heat recovery; hydrogen vehicle technologies; compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicle technologies; reduction of vehicle weight, friction, and wear; innovative propulsion systems; hydraulic hybrid technologies; engine compatibility with and optimization for a variety of transportation fuels; refueling and charging infrastructure for alternative fueled and electric or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles; gaseous fuels storage system and system integration and optimization; sensing, communications, and actuation technologies for vehicle, electrical grid, and infrastructure; efficient use, substitution, and recycling of potentially critical materials in vehicles; and retrofitting advanced vehicle technologies to existing vehicles. Directs the Secretary to ensure that DOE continues to support research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities and maintains competency in mid- to long-term transformational vehicle technologies with potential to achieve deep reductions in petroleum use and emissions, including activities in the areas of: (1) hydrogen vehicle technology; (2) multiple battery chemistries and novel energy storage devices; (3) communication, connectivity, and power flow amount vehicles, infrastructure, and the electrical grid; and (4) lightweight vehicles and materials. Requires activities under this Act to be carried out in collaboration with automotive manufacturers, heavy commercial and transit vehicle manufacturers, qualified plug-in electric vehicle manufacturers, compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicle manufacturers, vehicle and engine equipment and component manufacturers, manufacturing equipment manufacturers, advanced vehicle service providers, fuel producers and energy suppliers, electric utilities, institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and independent research laboratories. Requires the Secretary to: determine whether a wide range of companies that manufacture or assemble vehicles or components in the United States are represented in ongoing public private partnership activities; formalize partnerships with industry-led stakeholder organizations, nonprofit organizations, industry consortia, and trade associations with expertise in advanced automotive and commercial vehicle technologies; develop more efficient processes for transferring research findings and technologies to industry; give consideration to conversion of existing or former vehicle technology manufacturing facilities for researching and developing advanced vehicle technologies; establish and support public-private partnerships, dedicated to overcoming barriers in commercial application of transformational vehicle technologies, that utilize such industry-led technology development facilities of entities with demonstrated expertise in successfully designing and engineering pre-commercial generations of such transformational technology; promote efforts to ensure that technology research, development, engineering, and commercial application activities funded under this Act are carried out; coordinate activities between relevant DOE programs and offices and other federal agencies; inform other agencies of the potential for demonstrating technologies funded by this Act; and support and utilize state and local government initiatives in advanced vehicle technology development. Requires the Secretary, when awarding cost-shared grants under this program, to give priority to those technologies that: (1) provide the greatest aggregate fuel savings based on the reasonable projected sales volumes of the technology, and (2) provide the greatest increase in U.S. employment. Requires the Secretary to conduct research, development, and demonstration activities on connectivity of vehicle and transportation systems, including technologies for: (1) onboard vehicle, engine, and component sensing and actuation; (2) vehicle-to-vehicle sensing and communication; and (3) vehicle-to-infrastructure sensing and communication. Requires the Secretary to carry out a research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application program of advanced vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices, including innovative processes to: increase the production rate and decrease the cost of advanced battery manufacturing; vary the capability of individual manufacturing facilities to accommodate different battery chemistries and configurations; reduce waste streams, emissions, and energy-intensity of vehicle, engine, advanced battery, and component manufacturing processes; recycle and remanufacture used batteries and other vehicle components for reuse in vehicles or stationary applications; produce cost-effective lightweight materials such as advanced metal alloys, polymeric composites, and carbon fiber; produce lightweight high pressure storage systems for gaseous fuels; design and manufacture purpose-built hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles and components; improve the calendar life and cycle life of advanced batteries; and produce permanent magnets for advanced vehicles. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress: (1) annually through 2017 on the technologies developed as a result of this Act, with emphasis on technologies that were successfully adopted for commercial applications and, if so, whether products relying on those technologies are manufactured in the United States; and (2) annually on activities undertaken, active industry participants, efforts to recruit new participants, progress of the program in meeting goals and timelines, and a strategic plan for funding of activities across agencies. Title II: Medium and Heavy Duty Commercial and Transit Vehicles - Requires the Secretary, in partnership with relevant research and development programs in other federal agencies and appropriate industry stakeholders, to carry out cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-duty commercial, recreational, vocational, and transit vehicles, including activities in the areas of: engine efficiency and combustion research; onboard storage technologies for compressed and liquefied petroleum gas; development and integration of engine technologies designed for compressed natural gas liquefied petroleum operation of a variety of vehicle platforms; waste heat recovery; heavy hybrid, hybrid hydraulic, plug-in hybrid, and electric platforms and energy storage technologies; reduction of friction, wear, and engine idle and parasitic energy loss; advanced lightweight materials and vehicle designs; increasing load capacity per vehicle; recharging infrastructure; compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas infrastructure; advanced internal combustion engines; hydrogen vehicle technologies; retrofitting advanced technologies onto existing truck fleets; and integration of advanced systems onto a single truck and trailer platform. Requires the Secretary to: (1) appoint a Director to coordinate such activities; and (2) report annually to Congress on activities, active industry participants, efforts to recruit new participants, progress of the program in meeting goals and timelines, and a strategic plan for funding of activities across agencies. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a competitive grant program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced technologies on Class 8 truck and trailer platforms with a goal of improving overall freight efficiency by 50%; (2) develop standard testing procedures and technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty cycles and operating conditions; (3) evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work performance-based metrics other than those based on miles per gallon; and (4) undertake a pilot program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of technologies to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad mobile equipment and seek opportunities to transfer relevant research findings and technologies between the nonroad and on-highway equipment and vehicle sectors. Authorizes the Secretary to construct heavy duty truck and bus testing facilities. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal provisions that: (1) establish the joint flexible fuel/hybrid vehicle commercialization initiative; (2) require the Secretary to accelerate efforts for improving batteries and other rechargeable energy storage systems, power electronics, hybrid systems integration, and other technologies for use in hybrid vehicles; (3) establish the domestic manufacturing conversion grant program; and (4) establish a research, development, and demonstration program to determine the feasibility of using hydrogen propulsion in light-weight vehicles and the integration of the associated hydrogen production infrastructure using off-the-shelf components. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the vehicle energy storage demonstration program.