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596 records in US in 2015
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015
Authorizes expenditures by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for the 114th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015
Reaffirms that it is U.S. policy that Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that all instruments of U.S. power and influence must remain on the table to prevent this outcome. Supports the diplomatic efforts of the United States and the members of the P5+1 countries to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Affirms that Senate support for the reimposition of suspended sanctions as well as the imposition of additional sanctions against Iran would be strong if: (1) negotiations fail to achieve a comprehensive agreement, (2) Iran violates the Joint Plan of Action, or (3) Iran violates any final comprehensive agreement on its nuclear program. Agrees that future new sanctions against Iran may include measures further targeting Iran's energy, financial, and strategic economic sectors, and its foreign currency transactions, as well as the designation of additional government officials linked to its illicit nuclear program and sanctions evasion. Supports the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the people of Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015
Clarification of Legal Enforcement Against Non-criminal Energy Producers Act of 2015 or the CLEAN Energy Producers Act of 2015 This bill amends the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act to require the Department of the Interior to issue or deny an eagle permit for no less than 30 years that authorizes the taking of a bald eagle or golden eagle that is incidental to, but not the purpose of, an otherwise lawful activity. If Interior fails to act on a permit within a reasonable time (not exceeding one year), the permit is deemed issued. This bill amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to exempt from criminal liability any taking, killing, or other harm to a migratory bird that is accidental or incidental to the presence or operation of an otherwise lawful activity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015
Defense of Property Rights Act Prohibits federal or state agencies from taking private property in whole or in part (including by physical invasion, regulation, exaction, or condition) except for public purpose and with just compensation to the property owner. Requires a property owner to receive just compensation if, as a consequence of an agency's decision, the property has been physically invaded or taken without the owner's consent in an action that: does not substantially advance the stated governmental interest; exacts the owner's lawful right to use the property, or a portion of the property, as a condition for an agency's action (including the granting of a permit, license, or variance) without a rough proportionality between the stated need for the property and the impact of the proposed use; deprives the owner, either temporarily or permanently, of substantially all economically beneficial or productive use of the property, or of a part of the property, without a showing that the deprivation of value inheres in the title; diminishes the property's fair market value by at least 20% or $20,000; or constitutes any other taking within the meaning of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Includes an agency's decision that interferes with an owner's investment-backed expectations to water rights or to rents, issues, or profits of land (including minerals, timber, fodder, crops, oil and gas, coal, or geothermal energy) among the categories of actions that may require payment of just compensation. Defines "just compensation" to include the property's fair market value, business losses, and compounded interest from the date of the taking until the agency's payment. Allows adversely affected property owners to challenge agency actions in either a U.S. district court or the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC). Provides persons adversely affected by an agency action with standing to challenge or seek judicial review. Amends the federal judicial code to allow the USCFC to: (1) render judgment upon a claim against an agency for monetary relief, (2) invalidate federal laws or regulations that violate Fifth Amendment property rights, (3) grant injunctive and declaratory relief, and (4) have concurrent jurisdiction with other courts. Establishes a six-year statute of limitations for actions to be brought after a taking. Requires courts to award litigation costs, attorney's fees, and expert witness fees to prevailing plaintiffs. Allows takings disputes to be resolved through settlement or arbitration.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015
Energy Star Program Integrity Act This bill amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to revise the Energy Star program to prohibit a disclosure relating to participation of a product in the program from creating a warranty or giving rise to private claims or rights of action relating to disqualification of the product from Energy Star if: (1) the product has been certified by a certification body recognized by the program, (2) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved corrective measures, and (3) the responsible party has fully complied with all such measures. The bill may not be construed to require the EPA to modify any procedure or take any other action.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015
Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015 Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Department of the Interior to provide Indian tribes with technical assistance in planning their energy resource development programs. Makes intertribal organizations eligible for Department of Energy (DOE) Indian energy education planning and management assistance program grants. Makes tribal energy development organizations eligible for DOE energy development loan guarantees. Allows leases and business agreements that pool, unitize, or communitize a tribe's energy resources with other energy resources. Requires an energy-related tribal lease, business agreement, or grant of a right-of-way made without Interior's approval to comply with a tribal energy resource agreement between the tribe and Interior, unless it is a lease with a tribal energy development organization that Interior has certified. Alters the process and conditions for Interior's approval of tribal energy resource agreements. Alters the process for determining whether an interested party has a valid claim to be suffering an adverse environmental impact due to a tribe's noncompliance with such agreement. Directs DOE to collaborate with the Directors of the National Laboratories in making the full array of DOE technical and scientific resources available for tribal energy activities and projects. Amends the Federal Power Act to include Indian tribes, along with states and municipalities, as having preference for the receipt of preliminary hydroelectric licenses. Amends the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to direct Interior, for land under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction, or the Department of Agriculture, for land under Forest Service jurisdiction, to enter into agreements with Indian tribes and Alaska Native corporations for the conduct of demonstration projects to promote biomass energy production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities by providing them with reliable supplies of woody biomass from federal lands. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to prescribe requirements for direct home weatherization grants to Indian tribes upon request when low-income Indian beneficiaries would not be better served if the grant went to their state. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to allow Interior, an affected Indian tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the Indian tribe to appraise Indian mineral or energy resources involved in a transaction requiring Interior's approval. Amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to authorize the Navajo Nation to enter into commercial or agricultural leases of up to 99 years on their restricted lands without Interior approval. Allows the Navajo Nation to enter into 25-year (renewable) mineral resource leases on its restricted lands without Interior's approval if they are executed under approved tribal regulations. Limits oil and gas leases to terms of up to 10 years if oil or gas is being produced in a paying quantity. Allows the Crow Tribe of Montana to enter into leases on its restricted land for a term of up to 99 years. Requires that any advance payments, bid deposits, or other earnest money received by Interior, subject to a certain restriction, in connection with the review and approval of a sale, lease, permit, or any other conveyance of any interest in any trust or restricted land of any Indian tribe or individual Indian, upon request by the tribe or individual Indian, to be held in the trust fund system, upon receipt and before contract or instrument approval, for the benefit of the Indian tribe and individual Indian from whose land the funds were generated.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015
Planning for American Energy Act of 2015 Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) and the Secretary of Agriculture 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 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.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015
Repeals the National Technical Information Act of 1988, effective one year after the enactment of this Act (thus abolishes the National Technical Information Service [NTIS]). Directs: (1) the Secretary of Commerce, the Archivist of the United States, the Comptroller General, and the Commissioner of Social Security to consult with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to determine if any NTIS function is critical to the U.S. economy; (2) the Comptroller General to determine which of any such critical functions are not being carried out by any other agency or instrumentality of the federal government; and (3) the Secretary of Commerce, prior to the effective date of this Act, to submit to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Finance a written certification that all NTIS operations have been terminated.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015
Look-Alike Weapons Safety Act of 2015 Amends the Federal Energy Management Improvement Act of 1988 to prohibit manufacturing, entering into commerce, shipping, transporting, or receiving any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm unless the permanent color of the entire exterior surface is white, bright orange, or another specified predominant bright color. (Currently, imitation firearms are required to have only an orange plug inserted into the barrel.) Revises the definition of "look-alike firearm" to include traditional B-B and pellet-firing air guns that expel a projectile through the force of air pressure. Maintains the exclusion of paint-ball guns.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015
Export American Natural Gas Act of 2015 Amends the Natural Gas Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to either approve or deny an application to export liquefied natural gas (LNG), whether through an onshore or offshore terminal, within 60 days after the later of: (1) receiving a completed application; (2) the applicant's contracting with a customer for the LNG proposed to be exported, and (3) the date of the enactment of this Act. Deems the application approved if the Secretary has neither approved nor denied it by such 60-day deadline. Declares this Act inapplicable to applications for export to a nation to which export is prohibited by law. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on: (1) how the economic policies of foreign countries with natural gas resources and reserves relate to the development and production of their natural gas resources and reserves, as well as the extent and status of their natural gas resources and reserves; (2) the potential of such countries to export their natural gas production to the global market, including the impact of such exports upon the global market; and (3) U.S. actions to foster natural gas exports to foreign countries having an interest in importing natural gas from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2015
Partnership to Build America Act of 2015 Establishes the American Infrastructure Fund (AIF) as a wholly-owned government corporation to provide bond guarantees and make loans to state and local governments, non-profit infrastructure providers, private parties, and public-private partnerships for state or local government sponsored transportation, energy, water, communications, or educational facility infrastructure projects (Qualified Infrastructure Projects [QIPs]). Authorizes AIF also to make equity investments in QIPs. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, acting through the AIF, to issue American Infrastructure Bonds with an aggregate face value of $50 billion. Requires proceeds from the sale of the bonds to be deposited into the AIF. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow U.S. corporations to exclude from gross income qualified cash dividend amounts received during a taxable year from a foreign-controlled corporation equal to the face value of qualified infrastructure bonds the corporation has purchased. Prohibits allowance of a foreign tax credit to the excluded portion of any dividend received by a U.S. corporation. Prohibits also the allowance of a deduction for expenses related to that excludable portion.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2015
Directs the Secretary of Energy to ensure that any crude oil and bitumen transported into the United States by the Keystone XL pipeline, and all refined petroleum fuel products originating from that crude oil or bitumen, will be entered into domestic commerce in the United States for use as fuel or the manufacture of another product. Authorizes the President to waive such requirement in the national interest in specified circumstances, including where: (1) an exchange of crude oil or refined product provides for no net loss of crude oil or refined product consumed domestically; or (2) a waiver is necessary under the Constitution, a law, or an international agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2015
LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act Directs the Department of Energy (DOE), for proposals that must also obtain authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the United States Maritime Administration to site, construct, expand, or operate liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities, to issue a decision on an application for authorization to export natural gas within 30 days after the later of: (1) the conclusion of the review to site, construct, expand, or operate the LNG facilities required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); or (2) the date of enactment of this Act. Deems any NEPA review to be concluded: (1) 30 days after publication of a required Environmental Impact Statement if the project needs one; (2) 30 days after publication by DOE of a Finding of No Significant Impact if the project needs an Environmental Assessment; and (3) upon a determination by the lead agency that an application is eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to regulations under NEPA. (A "categorical exclusion" under NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required.) Confers original and exclusive jurisdiction upon the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the export facility under an application will be located over any civil action for the review of: (1) a DOE order regarding the application, or (2) DOE failure to issue a final decision on the application. Requires the Court, if it finds in a civil action that DOE has failed to issue a final decision on an application, to order DOE to issue one within 30 days. Requires the Court to set any civil action brought under this Act on the docket, for expedited consideration, as soon as practical after the filing date of the initial pleading. Amends the Natural Gas Act to set as a condition for approval of any authorization to export LNG that the DOE Secretary require the applicant to disclose publicly the specific destination or destinations of any such authorized LNG exports.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015
American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act Directs the Secretary of the Interior to implement a competitive leasing program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources on the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Permits lease sales to be conducted through an Internet leasing program if such a system will result in savings to the taxpayer, an increase in the number of bidders participating, and higher returns than oral bidding or a sealed bidding system. Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to repeal the prohibition against leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Deems any oil and gas leasing programs and activities authorized by this Act to be in compliance with ANWR purposes. Authorizes the Secretary to designate up to 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain as a Special Area, after consultation with the state of Alaska, the city of Kaktovik, and the North Slope Borough. Permits directional drilling in the Special Area. Prescribes procedures governing Coastal Plain lease sales, as well as terms and conditions, including: (1) environmental protection; (2) federal and state distribution of revenues; and (3) rights-of-way. Sets forth: (1) a "no significant adverse effect" standard to govern Coastal Plain activities; and (2) guidelines for expedited judicial review of complaints. Establishes the ANWR Alternative Energy Trust Fund, into which shall be deposited 50% of the amount of bonus, rental, and royalty revenues from Federal oil and gas leasing and operations authorized under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015
Water in the 21st Century Act or W21 This bill establishes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a WaterSense program to identify, label, and promote water efficient products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services. This bill establishes a program to provide financial incentives for consumers to purchase and install products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services labeled under the WaterSense program. The EPA is required to make grants to owners or operators of water systems to address any ongoing or forecasted impact of climate change on a region's water quality or quantity. The Department of the Interior may: (1) provide financial assistance to water projects in specified states, including projects for water recycling, water infrastructure, enhanced energy efficiency, desalination, and water storage and conveyance; and (2) transfer to nonfederal entities title to any reclamation projects or facility in need of rehabilitation that are authorized before enactment of this Act. The U.S. Geological Survey must establish an open water data system to advance the availability, timely distribution, and widespread use of water data and information for water management, education, research, assessment, and monitoring purposes. This bill reauthorizes through FY2020 the Water Desalination Act of 1996 and water resources research and technology institutes under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. After receiving a request from a nonfederal sponsor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must review the operation of a reservoir and, if appropriate, update the water control manual to incorporate improved weather and runoff forecasting methods. The EPA is required to develop voluntary national drought resilience guidelines relating to preparedness planning and investments for water users and providers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must prepare a salmon drought plan for California.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015
American Job Creation and Strategic Alliances LNG Act Amends the Natural Gas Act to deem consistent with the public interest an expedited application and approval process for the importation or exportation of natural gas to a World Trade Organization member nation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015
Water in the 21st Century Act or W21 This bill establishes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a WaterSense program to identify, label, and promote water efficient products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services. This bill establishes a program to provide financial incentives for consumers to purchase and install products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services labeled under the WaterSense program. The EPA is required to make grants to owners or operators of water systems to address any ongoing or forecasted impact of climate change on a region's water quality or quantity. The Department of the Interior may: (1) provide financial assistance to water projects in specified states, including projects for water recycling, water infrastructure, enhanced energy efficiency, desalination, and water storage and conveyance; and (2) transfer to nonfederal entities title to any reclamation projects or facility in need of rehabilitation that are authorized before enactment of this Act. The U.S. Geological Survey must establish an open water data system to advance the availability, timely distribution, and widespread use of water data and information for water management, education, research, assessment, and monitoring purposes. This bill reauthorizes through FY2020 the Water Desalination Act of 1996 and water resources research and technology institutes under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. After receiving a request from a nonfederal sponsor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must review the operation of a reservoir and, if appropriate, update the water control manual to incorporate improved weather and runoff forecasting methods. The EPA is required to develop voluntary national drought resilience guidelines relating to preparedness planning and investments for water users and providers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must prepare a salmon drought plan for California.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015
Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2015 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to submit a report to Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE) before promulgating a final rule that regulates any aspect of the production, supply, distribution, or use of energy and that is estimated by the EPA or the Office of Management and Budget to impose aggregate costs of more than $1 billion. The report must contain: (1) an estimate of the total costs and benefits of the rule, (2) an estimate of the increases in energy prices that may result from implementation or enforcement of the rule, and (3) a detailed description of the employment effects that may result from implementation or enforcement of the rule. DOE must: (1) prepare an independent analysis to determine whether the rule will cause any increase in energy prices for consumers, any impact on fuel diversity of the nation's electricity generation portfolio or on electric reliability, or any adverse effect on energy supply, distribution, or use; and (2) determine whether the rule will cause significant adverse effects to the economy and publish the determination. The EPA may not promulgate the final rule if DOE determines that the rule will cause significant adverse effects to the economy. The EPA may not use the social cost of carbon in any cost-benefit analysis relating to an energy-related rule estimated to cost more than $1 billion unless a federal law is enacted authorizing such use. The social cost of carbon is an estimate of the monetized damages associated with an incremental increase in carbon dioxide emissions in a given year.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015
Elects specified Members to the following House Committees: (1) Agriculture; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) Education and the Workforce; (5) Energy and Commerce; (6) Financial Services; (7) Foreign Affairs; (8) Homeland Security; (9) the Judiciary; (10) Natural Resources; (11) Oversight and Government Reform; (12) Science, Space, and Technology; (13) Small Business; (14) Transportation and Infrastructure; (15) Veterans' Affairs; and (16) Ways and Means.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2015
Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities specified in an application filed by TransCanada Corporation to the Department of State on May 4, 2012. Deems the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding the pipeline issued by the Secretary of State in January 2014 to fully satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and any law that requires federal agency consultation or review, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Maintains in effect any applicable federal permit or authorization issued before enactment of this Act. Grants original and exclusive jurisdiction, except for review in the Supreme Court, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit over any civil action for the review of a federal agency action regarding the pipeline and related facilities. Declares that this Act does not alter any federal, state, or local process or condition in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that is necessary to secure access from an owner of private property to construct the pipeline and cross-border facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2015
Incentives for our Nation's Veterans in Energy Sustainability Technologies or the INVEST Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the work opportunity tax credit for the hiring of a specified veteran who works in a field of renewable energy. Defines "specified veteran" as any veteran who is certified as: (1) having received a credential or certification from the Department of Defense of a military occupational specialty or skill in a field of renewable energy or with respect to advanced manufacturing, machinist or welding, or engineering; (2) having completed a vocational degree in a field of renewable energy; or (3) having completed a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification with the United States Green Building Council. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to pay: (1) each U.S. possession (i.e., American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) with a mirror code tax system amounts equal to the loss to such possession due to this Act; and (2) each U.S. possession without such a tax system an amount estimated to equal the loss to such possession that would have occurred due to this Act if such a tax system had been in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit the Export-Import Bank from guaranteeing, insuring, extending credit, or participating in the extension of credit in connection with the purchase or sale of any good or service for a high carbon intensity project that: (1) is designed to generate electricity, and (2) if completed would produce at least 500 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by the project.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Klamath Basin Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act of 2015 Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Hydroelectric Settlement (Settlement), the Klamath River Basin Restoration Agreement for the Sustainability of Public and Trust Resources and Affected Communities (Restoration Agreement), and the Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement (Upper Basin Agreement) and any amendments that are executed to make them consistent with this Act. Directs: (1) the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Agriculture to promptly execute and implement the Restoration Agreement; (2) the Secretary and the Secretary of Commerce to promptly execute and implement the Upper Basin Agreement; and (3) the Secretary, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to implement the Settlement to the extent that it does not conflict with this Act. Includes in the Klamath Reclamation Project's purposes irrigation, reclamation, flood control, municipal uses, industrial uses, power, fish and wildlife purposes, and National Wildlife Refuge purposes. Prohibits water allocations for fish and wildlife and National Wildlife Refuge purposes from adversely affecting water allocations for irrigation purposes, with the exception of allocations to refuges as provided for in the Restoration Agreement. Provides for the disposition of net revenues from the leasing of refuge land within the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. Authorizes the Klamath Tribes, and the United States acting as trustee for such Tribes, to make the commitments set forth in the Restoration Agreement and Upper Basin Agreement in consideration of: (1) the benefits those Agreements provide to the Tribes, and (2) the resolution of any contest or exception the Klamath Project Water Users and Off-Project Irrigators had to the Tribes' water rights claims. Authorizes the Karuk Tribe and Yurok Tribe to make the commitments set forth in the Restoration Agreement in consideration for the commitments of the Klamath Project Water Users described in that Agreement and the other benefits provided in that Agreement and this Act. Authorizes the Klamath Tribes, Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, and any other federally recognized tribes of the Klamath Basin that become party to the Restoration Agreement after this Act's enactment to relinquish and release certain claims against the United States. Amends the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary, consistent with the Agreements, to carry out any activities to: (1) align water supplies with demand; (2) limit the net costs of power used to manage water for the Klamath Project, the On-Project Power Users, irrigators in the Off-Project Area, and the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex; and (3) restore any ecosystem and otherwise protect fish and wildlife in the Klamath Basin watershed. Establishes in the Treasury the Klamath Tribes Tribal Resource Fund to be administered by the Secretary for the benefit of the Klamath Tribes in accordance with the Upper Basin Agreement. Authorizes the Klamath Tribes to submit a tribal investment plan for funds disbursed to the Tribes. Requires the Klamath Tribes to submit for the Secretary's approval an economic development plan for the use of the Fund. Requires that plan to include a resource acquisition and enhancement plan that requires at least 50% of the amount appropriated each fiscal year for the Fund to be used to enhance, restore, and utilize the natural resources of the Tribes in a manner that also provides for the Tribes' economic development and benefits adjacent non-Indian communities. Prohibits any amount in the Fund or revenue from any water use contract from being distributed to any member of the Klamath Tribes on a per capita basis. Requires the Tribes to make the commitments set forth in the Agreements and to be in substantial compliance with those commitments before amounts in the Fund are disbursed. Directs the Governors of Oregon and California and the Secretary, in accordance with the Settlement, to jointly: (1) determine whether to proceed with the removal of the Iron Gate Dam, the Copco No. 1 Dam, the Copco No. 2 Dam, and the J.C. Boyle Dam on the Klamath River based on factors identified in the Settlement; and (2) designate a dam removal entity if they decide to proceed. Requires the Secretary to accept title to the Keno Dam in Klamath County, Oregon, upon receiving notice that the dam removal entity is ready to remove the J.C. Boyle Dam. Terminates FERC's jurisdiction over the Keno Dam and makes it part of the Klamath Reclamation Project upon the Secretary's acceptance of title to it. Requires FERC to: (1) issue an order approving partial surrender of the license for the East Side and West Side Developments associated with the Link River Dam upon PacifiCorp's filing of an application for such surrender; and (2) resume timely consideration of the pending licensing application for the Fall Creek Development within 60 days after title to the Iron Gate Dam is transferred to the dam removal entity, regardless of whether PacifiCorp retains ownership of the Development. Transfers title to PacifiCorp's California hatchery facilities to California when the dam removal entity takes title to the Iron Gate Dam or such other time as may be agreed to by the Settlement parties. Authorizes the Secretary, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into agreements with state, tribal, and local governments and private entities to implement the Act, the Settlement, and the Agreements. Requires priority to be given to the Yurok Tribe, the Karuk Tribe, the Klamath Tribes, and any other federally recognized tribes of the Klamath Basin that become party to the Restoration Agreement in awarding grants or contracts to implement the fisheries programs in that Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 Better Buildings Act of 2015 This bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to: (1) develop and publish model leasing provisions to encourage building owners and tenants to use greater cost-effective energy efficiency and water efficiency measures in commercial buildings, and (2) develop policies and best practices to implement the measures for the realty services provided by the GSA to federal agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) to develop a voluntary Tenant Star program within the Energy Star program to recognize tenants of spaces in commercial buildings that voluntarily achieve high levels of energy efficiency. The EPA may develop a voluntary program to recognize commercial building owners and tenants that use high-performance energy efficiency measures in the design and construction of leased spaces. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act is amended to prescribe additional energy conservation standards for grid-enabled water heaters for use as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program, which is a program that enables customers to reduce or shift their power use during peak demand periods. Energy Efficient Government Technology Act The EISA is amended also to require: (1) each federal agency to coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the EPA to develop an implementation strategy for the maintenance, purchase, and use of energy-efficient and energy-saving information technologies; (2) DOE to maintain a data center energy practitioner program that leads to the certification of energy practitioners qualified to evaluate the energy usage and efficiency opportunities in federal data centers; and (3) DOE to establish an open data initiative to make information about federal data center energy usage available and accessible in a manner that encourages data center innovation, optimization, and consolidation. DOE must maintain, and if necessary create, a database for storing and making available public energy-related information on commercial and multifamily buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a Contract with America should include a roadmap to restore American competitiveness by: simplifying the corporate tax structure with lower statutory rates and no loopholes; taxing overseas profits earned by American multinational companies only where they are earned; easing the immigration of highly skilled individuals; responsibly developing America's shale-gas and oil reserves; aggressively addressing distortions and abuses in the international trading system; improving American logistics, communications, and energy infrastructure; simplifying and streamlining federal regulation; and creating a sustainable federal budget, including entitlement reform.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Strategic Petroleum Supplies Act Prohibits the Administration from authorizing sales of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the date all requisite permits under Executive Order 13337 for the Keystone XL pipeline project application filed on September 19, 2008, have been issued. Excepts from such prohibition U.S. obligations under the international energy program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
This bill prohibits the head of any federal agency from implementing or enforcing any regulations, proposals, or actions establishing any carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions reductions until the Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Information Administration, and Department of Commerce certify in writing that China, India, and Russian have proposed, implemented, and enforced measures requiring substantially similar reductions. Any regulation, proposal, or action that requires those emission reductions and that is in effect before this certification is made is nullified.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reorganization Plan Codification and Complements Act Codifies and expands the Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1980 governing administration of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Identifies as functions that remain vested in the NRC: (1) approval of the distribution of appropriated funds according to programs and purposes proposed by the Executive Director for Operations, and (2) functions concerned with policy formulation, rule making, orders and adjudications. Revises provisions of such Reorganization Act regarding: (1) the appointment and replacement of NRC officers and employees, (2) the role of the NRC Chairman, (3) the scope of the emergency authority of the NRC Chairman, and (4) NRC reporting procedures. Sets forth NRC policy with respect to: (1) certification of documents transmitted to Congress, (2) time limits for review of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board decisions and actions, (3) allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the NRC Chairman, and (4) approval of international travel requests by NRC members.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Deems the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015, issued by the Secretary of the Interior, to be the final oil and gas leasing program for the period FY2015-FY2020. Considers the Secretary to have issued a final environmental impact statement to the FY2013-FY2018 oil and gas leasing program in accordance with certain requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Excludes Lease Sales 214, 232, and 239, from the FY2015-FY2020 final oil and gas leasing program. Declares that this Act does not affect restrictions on oil and gas leasing under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Offshore Fairness Act This bill amends the Submerged Lands Act to change the seaward boundaries of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia from a distance of three geographic miles from the coast line to a distance of three marine leagues. This change expands the offshore jurisdictions of those states. The Department of the Interior must convey the submerged land in the Outer Continental Shelf that is within this expanded area to a state upon request. After a conveyance, states are prohibited from imposing on that land: (1) burdens or requirements on an interest owner that would be stricter than federal burdens or requirements, or (2) administrative or judicial penalties or sanctions on an interest owner that are more severe than the federal penalties or sanctions. The submerged land within the seaward boundaries of those states are subject to federal oil and gas mineral rights and are considered to be part of the federal Outer Continental Shelf for purposes of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, and other laws applicable to the leasing of the oil and gas resources. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas are given exclusive fishery management authority to manage and conserve the Gulf of Mexico red snapper in adjacent coastal waters of the applicable state and through the exclusive economic zone. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration must provide financial assistance to those states for stock assessments and data collection relating to the Gulf of Mexico red snapper.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 6 January 2015
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Low-Dose Radiation Research Act of 2015 Requires the Director of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science to carry out a research program on low dose radiation to enhance the scientific understanding of and reduce uncertainties associated with the effects of exposure to low dose radiation. Requires the Director to enter into an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a study assessing the current status and development of a long-term strategy for low dose radiation research. Requires such study to: identify current scientific challenges for understanding the long-term effects of ionizing radiation, assess the status of current low dose radiation research, formulate overall scientific goals for the future of low-dose radiation research, recommend a long-term strategic and prioritized research agenda to address scientific research goals for overcoming the identified scientific challenges in coordination with other research efforts, define the essential components of a research program that would address this research agenda within the universities and the National Laboratories, and assess the effectiveness of such a program. Directs the Secretary of Energy to deliver to Congress a five-year research plan that responds to the study's findings and recommendations and identifies and prioritizes research needs. Makes DOE's limitation on human research inapplicable to research under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to prohibit the Department of the Interior from enforcing any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding hydraulic fracturing (including any component of that process), relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under any land in any state that has regulations, guidance, or permit requirements for that activity. Requires Interior to recognize and defer to state regulations, permitting, and guidance, for all activities regarding hydraulic fracturing relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on federal land regardless of whether those rules are duplicative, more or less restrictive, have different requirements, or do not meet federal regulations, guidance, or permit requirements. Defines "hydraulic fracturing" as the process by which fracturing fluids (including a fracturing fluid system) are pumped into an underground geologic formation to generate fractures or cracks, thereby increasing rock permeability near the wellbore and improving production of natural gas or oil.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Keystone For a Secure Tomorrow Act Approves a specified permit regarding certain energy-related facilities and land transportation crossings on the international boundaries of the United States for the Keystone XL pipeline project. Includes within such permit the Nebraska reroute evaluated in the Final Evaluation Report issued the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality in January 2013. Prescribes permit requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Keystone XL Pipeline Act Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities specified in an application filed by TransCanada Corporation to the Department of State on May 4, 2012. Deems the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding the pipeline issued by the Secretary of State in January 2014 to fully satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and any law that requires federal agency consultation or review, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Maintains in effect any applicable federal permit or authorization issued before enactment of this Act. Grants original and exclusive jurisdiction, except for review in the Supreme Court, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit over any civil action for the review of a federal agency action regarding the pipeline and related facilities. Declares that this Act does not alter any federal, state, or local process or condition in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that is necessary to secure access from an owner of private property to construct the pipeline and cross-border facilities. Makes this Act effective January 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Crude Oil Export Act Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to repeal the authority of the President to restrict exports of: (1) coal, petroleum products, natural gas, or petrochemical feedstocks, and (2) materials or equipment which he determines necessary for either exploration, production, refining, or transportation of energy supplies, or for construction or maintenance of energy facilities within the United States. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to repeal limitations on exports of oil. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to repeal limitations on export of Outer Continental Shelf oil or gas on the lands within its purview. Declares without force or effect: (1) the limitation placed upon crude oil exports by the Export Administration Act of 1979, and (2) a specified regulation relating to crude oil. Directs the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce to grant licenses to export crude oil to a country unless: (1) the country is subject to sanctions or trade restrictions imposed by the United States, or (2) either the President or Congress has designated the country as subject to exclusion for reasons of national security. Authorizes the President, subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval, to ban the export of crude oil from the United States for a maximum period of 90 days during a national emergency. Permits renewal of such ban during periods of national emergency. Subjects any act of imposing or renewing a ban to a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Military Land and National Defense Act or the Military LAND Act Amends the National Historic Preservation Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to notify the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources if a property owned by the federal government is being considered for inclusion on the National Register, for designation as a National Historic Landmark, or for nomination to the World Heritage List. Prohibits such inclusion or designation of federal property if the head of any federal agency managing such property objects to such inclusion or designation for national security reasons.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Deficit Reduction, Job Creation, and Energy Security Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to conduct oil and gas lease sales under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The Deficit Reduction Acreage leased in those sales is in addition to the acreage proposed to be leased under the Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. This bill establishes the Deficit Reduction Energy Security Fund with sums from the Deficit Reduction Acreage lease sales for 15 years. The sums are to be transferred to the general fund and used solely to reduce the federal deficit. The interest earned on those sums will be transferred to the Coastal and Ocean Sustainability and Health Fund (COSH Fund), established under this Act. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administers the COSH Fund for: (1) the Coastal and Ocean Disaster Grant Program for restoring, mitigating, monitoring, or otherwise managing coastal and ocean natural resources impacted by coastal or ocean disasters; and (2) the National Grant Program for Coastal and Ocean Sustainability and Health for restoring, protecting, maintaining, managing, or understanding marine resources and their habitats and resources in coastal and ocean water. This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to authorize Interior to reinstate expired producible leases in the offshore Gulf or Mexico upon the petition of a prior leaseholder if such reinstatement furthers the purposes and objectives of that Act. Interior must establish an Office of Energy Employment and Training to oversee the Interior's efforts to carry out this Act, and an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. Further, Interior must take affirmative steps to seek diversity in all of its business and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
This bill requires the Office of Research and Development at the Environmental Protection Agency to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to provide a comprehensive assessment of research on the implications of the use of mid-level ethanol blends, which compares mid-level ethanol blends to gasoline blends containing 10% or 0% ethanol. A mid-level ethanol blend is an ethanol-gasoline blend containing 10%- 20% of ethanol by volume that is intended to be used in any conventional gasoline-powered motor vehicle or nonroad vehicle or engine. The assessment must: (1) evaluate the environmental, safety, durability, and performance effects of the introduction of mid-level blends on onroad, nonroad, and marine engines, onroad and nonroad vehicles, and related equipment; and (2) identify areas of research, development, and testing necessary to ensure that existing motor fuel infrastructure is not adversely impacted by mid-level ethanol blends and to reduce the risk of misfueling by users at various points in the distribution and supply chain. The Office must report on the assessment's findings. Any waivers granted under the Clean Air Act to allow the sale of mid-level ethanol blends for use in motor vehicles are nullified. The Office is also prohibited from granting new waivers until after the report is submitted.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE), for proposals that must also obtain authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the United States Maritime Administration to site, construct, expand, or operate liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities, to issue a decision on an application for authorization to export natural gas within 45 days after the later of: (1) the conclusion of the review to site, construct, expand, or operate the LNG facilities required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); or (2) the date of enactment of this Act. Deems a NEPA review to be concluded when the lead agency: (1) publishes an Environmental Impact Statement if the project requires one; (2) publishes a Finding of No Significant Impact if the project needs an Environmental Assessment; or (3) determines that an application is eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to NEPA regulations. (A "categorical exclusion" under NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required.) Confers upon either the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit or the circuit in which the export facility will be located original and exclusive jurisdiction over any civil action for the review of: (1) a DOE order regarding the application; or (2) DOE failure to issue a final decision on the application. Requires the Court, if it finds in a civil action that DOE has failed to issue a final decision on an application, to order DOE to issue a decision within 30 days. Requires the Court to set any civil action brought under this Act on the docket, for expedited consideration, as soon as practical after the filing date of the initial pleading. Amends the Natural Gas Act to direct the Secretary, in the case of any LNG export authorization, to require the applicant to report to DOE, according to specified timelines, the names of the one or more countries of destination to which the exported LNG is delivered.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act Amends the Natural Gas Act to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a prefiled project within 12 months after receiving a complete application that is ready to be processed. Defines "prefiled project" as a project for the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a natural gas pipeline with respect to which a prefiling docket number has been assigned by FERC pursuant to a prefiling process established by FERC for the purpose of facilitating the formal application process for obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity. Requires the agency responsible for issuing any federal license, permit, or approval regarding the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a project for which a certificate is sought to approve or deny issuance of the certificate within 90 days after FERC issues its final environmental document regarding the project. Requires FERC to grant an agency request for a 30-day extension of the 90-day time period if the agency demonstrates that it cannot otherwise complete the process required to approve or deny the license, permit, or approval, and therefore will be compelled to deny it. Authorizes FERC, in granting such an extension, to offer technical assistance to the agency in order to address conditions preventing completion of the application review. Declares that, if the agency fails to approve or deny issuance of a permit, license, or approval within the prescribed time-frame, the license, permit, or approval shall take effect upon expiration of 30 days after the period's end. Directs FERC to incorporate into the terms of a license, permit, or approval any conditions proffered by the agency that FERC does not find to be inconsistent with the final environmental document.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Keystone XL Pipeline Act Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities specified in an application filed by TransCanada Corporation to the Department of State on May 4, 2012. Deems the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding the pipeline issued by the Secretary of State in January 2014 to fully satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and any law that requires federal agency consultation or review, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Maintains in effect any applicable federal permit or authorization issued before enactment of this Act. Grants original and exclusive jurisdiction, except for review in the Supreme Court, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit over any civil action for the review of a federal agency action regarding the pipeline and related facilities. Declares that this Act does not alter any federal, state, or local process or condition in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that is necessary to secure access from an owner of private property to construct the pipeline and cross-border facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
ENERGY STAR Regulatory Improvement Act This bill amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the Energy Star program to exempt program partners that have complied with all program requirements for a period of at least 18 months from third-party certification requirements for the labeling of consumer, home, and office electronic products. In order to facilitate product listing and performance verification for a sample of products, the EPA may require test data and other product information to be submitted. The exemption from third-party certification provided to a program partner will be terminated if the partner is found to have violated program requirements with respect to at least two separate models during a two-year period. The exemption will resume if the partner complies with all program requirements for at least three years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act Directs the Department of Energy (DOE), for proposals that must also obtain authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the United States Maritime Administration to site, construct, expand, or operate liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities, to issue a decision on an application for authorization to export natural gas within 30 days after the later of: (1) the conclusion of the review to site, construct, expand, or operate the LNG facilities required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); or (2) the date of enactment of this Act. Deems any NEPA review to be concluded: (1) 30 days after publication of a required Environmental Impact Statement if the project needs one; (2) 30 days after publication by DOE of a Finding of No Significant Impact if the project needs an Environmental Assessment; and (3) upon a determination by the lead agency that an application is eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to regulations under NEPA. (A "categorical exclusion" under NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required.) Confers original and exclusive jurisdiction upon the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the export facility under an application will be located over any civil action for the review of: (1) a DOE order regarding the application, or (2) DOE failure to issue a final decision on the application. Requires the Court, if it finds in a civil action that DOE has failed to issue a final decision on an application, to order DOE to issue one within 30 days. Requires the Court to set any civil action brought under this Act on the docket, for expedited consideration, as soon as practical after the filing date of the initial pleading. Amends the Natural Gas Act to set as a condition for approval of any authorization to export LNG that the DOE Secretary require the applicant to disclose publicly the specific destination or destinations of any such authorized LNG exports.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Elects specified Members to the following House Committees: (1) Agriculture; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) the Budget; (5) Education and the Workforce; (6) Energy and Commerce; (7) Ethics; (8) Financial Services; (9) Foreign Affairs; (10) Homeland Security; (11) House Administration; (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.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Elects specified Members to the House Committees on: (1) Agriculture; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) the Budget; (5) Education and the Workforce; (6) Energy and Commerce; (7) Ethics; (8) Financial Services; (9) Foreign Affairs; (10) Homeland Security; (11) House Administration; (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.