Energy

Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 November 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 $100 million. 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 $100 million 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.

ATTAIN Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015

Accelerating Technology Transfer to Advance Innovation for the Nation Act of 2015 or the ATTAIN Act of 2015 This bill amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to establish the Office of Technology Transitions, directed by a Technology Transfer Coordinator, to improve Department of Energy (DOE) coordination and use of technology transfer resources, including increased coordination and use of small business innovation research. DOE shall establish a Lab-Corps, modeled after the I-Corps of the National Science Foundation, to support investments in entrepreneurs, mentors, and principal investigators. DOE may also establish and participate in technology commercialization challenges. The Office shall: (1) work with each Office of Research and Technology Application at the National Laboratories, and (2) partner with foundations and nonprofit entities with similar technology transfer and entrepreneurship priorities and goals. DOE and the Small Business Administration shall jointly establish a Technology Transfer Investment Initiative following prescribed guidelines. The Office, in coordination with Lab-Corps, shall also establish and coordinate regional geographic areas to implement the Initiative. DOE shall establish a pilot program, administered through the Office, to award grants to post-graduate researchers for the purpose of spinning off and licensing technology. DOE may include, in a management and operating contract for a National Laboratory, partnership agreements with institutions of higher education. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the results of the projects developed under this Act.

Bridge to a Clean Energy Future Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015

Bridge to a Clean Energy Future Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various tax credits and deductions relating to energy and to repeal certain tax preferences for oil and gas activities. TITLE I--EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF ENERGY TAX PROVISIONS This title extends through 2016: the tax credit for nonbusiness energy property; the tax credit for new qualified fuel cell motor vehicles; the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures; the tax credit for second generation biofuel production; the tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel; excise tax credits for alcohol used as fuel and biodiesel mixtures; the tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources; the tax credit for energy-efficient new homes; the special depreciation allowance for second generation biofuel plant property; the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings; tax deferral rules for sales or dispositions of qualified electric facilities; and excise tax credits for alternative fuels and alternative fuel mixtures. The title also revises the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel fuels to allow an increased credit for small biodiesel producers. TITLE II--ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS This title amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the energy tax credit to solar energy, fuel cell, microturbine, combined heat and power system, small wind energy, and thermal energy properties the construction of which begins before January 1, 2017; (2) modify capacity limitations for combined heat and power system property; (3) allow an energy tax credit for waste heat to power property; (4) define "qualified small wind energy property" for purposes of the energy tax credit; (5) allow renewable and alternative fuel projects to operate as publicly-traded partnerships; and (6) permit additional allocations of qualifying advanced energy project tax credits. TITLE III--ENDING OIL AND GAS TAX SUBSIDIES The title modifies or eliminates oil and gas tax subsidies by: increasing to seven years the amortization period for geological and geophysical expenditures; repealing after 2015 the tax credits for producing oil and gas from marginal wells and for enhanced oil recovery; repealing after 2015 the tax deduction for the intangible drilling and development costs of oil and gas wells; repealing percentage depletion for oil and gas wells and the tax deduction for tertiary injectants; repealing the exception to passive loss rules for interests in oil and gas properties; repealing the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities involving oil and gas; prohibiting the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method for major integrated oil companies; and limiting the foreign tax credit for dual capacity taxpayers (i.e., taxpayers who are subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and who receive specific economic benefits from such country or possession).

PIPES Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2015

Securing America's Future Energy: Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act or the SAFE PIPES Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2019 the gas and hazardous liquid pipeline and related programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT shall make periodic reports to Congress on the status of a final rule for required pipeline safety regulations for which no interim final rule or direct final rule has been issued, and any other significant rulemaking. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall report on the natural gas integrity management and hazardous liquid integrity management programs. After completion of any pipeline safety inspection, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), or the head of the agency leading the inspection, shall: conduct a post-inspection briefing with the operator outlining concerns; or issue the operator a final report, notice of amendment of plans or procedures, safety order, or corrective action order. DOT shall study improving damage prevention through technological improvements in location and communications practices to prevent accidental excavation damage to a pipe or its coating. The PHMSA shall review its staff resource management, and may certify the existence of any severe shortage of qualified candidates or a critical hiring need for a PHMSA position or group of positions. In developing a research and development program plan for pipeline facility integrity, the PHMSA shall: (1) create opportunities for joint research ventures with non-federal entities, and (2) permit collaborative research and development projects with appropriate non-federal organizations. DOT shall convene a working group to consider development of a voluntary no-fault information sharing system to encourage collaborative efforts to improve inspection information feedback and information sharing regarding natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline integrity risk analysis. DOT shall: report on the feasibility of a national integrated pipeline safety regulatory inspection database to improve communication and collaboration between the PHMSA and state pipeline regulators; and issue minimum uniform safety standards for the operation, environmental protection, and integrity management of underground natural gas storage facilities. The PHMSA and an operator shall each consider the impact of a worst-case discharge of hazardous liquid, or the substantial threat of one, into or on any navigable waters or adjoining shorelines that may be covered by ice. DOT shall revise certain regulations to state explicitly that the Great Lakes are a U.S.A. ecological resource for purposes of determining whether a pipeline is in a high consequence area. The GAO shall report on the staffing, resource allocation, oversight strategy, and management of the Transportation Security Administration's pipeline security program and other surface transportation programs.

National Park Service Centennial Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015

National Park Service Centennial Act This bill establishes the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund in the Treasury to finance signature projects and programs to enhance the National Park System (NPS) as it approaches its centennial in 2016. There is also established in the Treasury a Public Lands Centennial Fund. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture shall jointly establish a program under which funds from the Centennial Fund are made available to federal land or water management agencies to support projects that: enhance visitor services and outdoor recreational opportunities, restore lands and waters, repair facilities or trails, or increase energy and water efficiency. National Park Foundation Endowment Act The National Park Foundation shall establish the Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service. The National Park Service Second Century Fund is established in the Treasury. Interior shall undertake a broad program of the highest quality interpretation and education. This bill makes permanent the Volunteers in the Parks Program. Interior may establish a Visitor Services Management Authority (VSMA) to administer commercial visitor services programs and activities of the NPS, including the award and administration of commercial visitor facilities and services management contracts pursuant to this Act. A VSMA revolving fund is established for expenses necessary for the management, improvement, enhancement, operation, construction, and maintenance of commercial visitor services and facilities and payment of possessory interest and leasehold surrender interest.

Directing the Secretary of the Senate to make a technical correction in the enrollment of S. 1356.

United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015

Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a correction in the enrollment of S. 1356 to change the title to read "An Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes."

To provide for emergency preparedness for energy supply disruptions.

United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015

The Department of Energy (DOE) shall adopt procedures to: improve communication and coordination between DOE's energy response team, federal partners, and industry; leverage the Energy Information Administration's subject matter expertise within DOE's energy response team to improve supply chain situation assessments; establish company liaisons and direct communication with DOE's energy response team to improve situation assessments; streamline and enhance processes for obtaining temporary regulatory relief to speed up emergency response and recovery; facilitate and increase engagement among states, the oil and natural gas industry, and DOE in developing state and local energy assurance plans; establish routine education and training programs for key government emergency response positions with DOE and states; and involve states and the oil and natural gas industry in comprehensive drill and exercise programs. These activities shall include collaborative efforts with state and local government officials and the private sector.

West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015

West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.

To provide for a report that develops recommended United States energy security valuation methods.

United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015

This bill directs the Department of Energy to develop and report to specified congressional committees, after public notice and comment, recommended U.S. energy security valuation methods. The report shall: evaluate and define U.S. energy security to reflect modern domestic and global energy markets and the collective needs of the United States and its allies and partners; identify procedures and criteria to ensure that energy-related actions that significantly affect the supply, distribution, or use of energy are evaluated with respect to their potential impact on energy security, consumers and the economy, energy supply diversity and resiliency, well-functioning and competitive energy markets, the U.S. trade balance, and national security objectives; and recommend an implementation strategy meeting specified requirements.

Keep It in the Ground Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015

Keep It in the Ground Act of 2015 This bill states as U.S. policy that: (1) federal land and waters should be managed for the benefit of the people of the United States to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change and to promote a rapid transition to a clean energy economy; and (2) the government should pursue management of federal land and waters for the benefit of the people of the United States by not issuing any new lease or renewing any nonproducing lease for coal, oil, or natural gas in any such land or waters. The bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing a new lease, renewing, reinstating, or extending any nonproducing lease under such Act, or issuing any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other fossil fuel in the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, or any other area of the outer Continental Shelf. Interior shall: (1) cancel any lease issued under such Act before the date of enactment of this Act in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, or Chukchi Sea; and (2) not conduct any lease sale, enter into any new lease, reoffer for lease any land covered by an expiring lease, or renew, reinstate, or extend any nonproducing lease in existence before such date for onshore fossil fuels, including coal, oil, tar sands, oil shale, and gas on land subject to the Mineral Leasing Act. Interior may exempt any provision of this Act if it determines that there is an imminent national security threat and that issuing an exemption would significantly reduce such threat, but only for as long as the threat persists. Interior may allow a nonproducing lease to be renewed or extended if: (1) the nonproducing lease contract was signed before enactment of this Act, and (2) Interior determines that giving effect to any provision of this Act is likely to lead to a court ruling that there was a material breach of the contract. Such a renewal or extension shall be for the shortest time practicable under the terms of the contract.

Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2015 This bill repeals requirements of the Mineral Leasing Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 regarding the development of oil and gas deposits on certain lands within the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for one year the credit for thermal energy property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2017 the energy tax credit for investment in thermal energy property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for one year the credit for solar energy property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2017 the energy tax credit for investment in solar energy property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for one year the credit for residential energy efficient property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2017 the tax credit for residential energy efficient property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for one year the credit for qualified small wind energy property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2107 the energy tax credit for investment in qualified small wind energy property (i.e., property which uses a wind turbine with a nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts to generate electricity).

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for one year the credit for qualified microturbine property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2017 the energy tax credit for investment in qualified microturbine property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for one year the credit for combined heat and power system property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2017 the energy tax credit for investment in combined heat and power system property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for two years the credit for thermal energy property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the energy tax credit for investment in thermal energy property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for two years the credit for solar energy property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the energy tax credit for investment in solar energy property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for two years the credit for residential energy efficient property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the tax credit for residential energy efficient property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for two years the credit for qualified small wind energy property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2108 the energy tax credit for investment in qualified small wind energy property (i.e., property which uses a wind turbine with a nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts to generate electricity).

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for two years the credit for qualified microturbine property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the energy tax credit for investment in qualified microturbine property.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend for two years the credit for combined heat and power system property.

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the energy tax credit for investment in combined heat and power system property.

SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE: REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL LABORATORIES

United States · United States Senate · 28 October 2015

Bureau of Land Management Foundation Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015

Energy and Minerals Reclamation Foundation Establishment Act of 2015 This bill establishes the Energy and Minerals Reclamation Foundation to encourage, obtain, and use gifts, devises, and bequests of property for projects to reclaim: (1) hardrock mines that were abandoned before January 1, 1981, (2) coal mines that were abandoned before August 3, 1977, or (3) oil and gas well sites that have no responsible or liable parties. The Foundation may make grants for those reclamation projects.

To direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on the benefits of solar net energy metering, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015

This bill requires the Department of Energy to study and report on solar net energy metering, which allows electric consumers to offset their electricity bills for any excess electricity they do not use if that excess was: (1) generated from an eligible, on-site solar generating facility, and (2) delivered to local distribution facilities. The study must analyze the benefits of implementing solar net energy metering.

A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".

United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015

Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 23, 2015, that requires states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). (Those EGUs convert fossil fuel energy to electric energy.)

A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".

United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015

Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 23, 2015, that establishes new source performance standards under the Clean Air Act for emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units (EGUs) if the EGUs are newly constructed, modified, or reconstructed. (Those EGUs convert fossil fuel energy to electric energy.)

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".

United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015

Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 23, 2015, that requires states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). (Those EGUs convert fossil fuel energy to electric energy.)

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".

United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015

Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 23, 2015, that establishes new source performance standards under the Clean Air Act for carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units (EGUs) if the EGUs are newly constructed, modified, or reconstructed. (Those EGUs convert fossil fuel energy to electric energy.)

Intelligent Technologies Initiative Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2015

Intelligent Technologies Initiative Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish an Intelligent Technology Initiative to provide grants to up to six state and local governments to establish deployment sites for large scale installation and operation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to improve safety, efficiency, system performance, and return on investment. DOT shall develop criteria for selecting grant recipients, including how the deployment of technology will enable the recipient to: reduce costs and improve return on investments; deliver environmental benefits and reduce energy consumption by alleviating congestion and streamlining traffic flow; measure and improve the operational performance of its transportation network; reduce the number and severity of traffic collisions and increase driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety; collect, disseminate, and utilize real-time traffic, transit, parking, and other transportation-related information to improve mobility, reduce congestion, and provide for more efficient and accessible transportation alternatives; monitor transportation assets to improve infrastructure management, reduce maintenance costs, prioritize investment decisions, and ensure a state of good repair; and deliver economic benefits by reducing delays, improving system performance, and providing for the efficient and reliable movement of goods and services. A grant application must include: a plan to deploy and provide for the long-term operation and maintenance of ITS to improve safety, efficiency, system performance, and return on investment; quantifiable system performance improvements; quantifiable safety, mobility, and environmental benefit projections; a plan for partnering with the private sector, public agencies, research institutions, organizations representing transportation and technology leaders, and other transportation stakeholders; a plan to leverage and optimize existing local and regional ITS investments; and a plan to ensure interoperability of deployed technologies with other tolling, traffic management, and ITS. Recipient may use grant funds to deploy, operate, and maintain specified ITS and ITS-enabled operational strategies. The bill requires DOT to report on the effectiveness of grant recipients in meeting their projected deployment plans.

SENSE Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2015

Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act or the SENSE Act This bill modifies the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule as it applies to certain electric utility steam generating units (electric power plants) that convert coal refuse into energy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must maintain the existing limits for sulfur dioxide emissions from coal refuse utilities under the cap-and-trade system, instead of applying the more restrictive limits that are scheduled to go into effect in 2017. (Under the current system, a cap sets a limit on emissions. The cap is lowered over time to reduce the amount of pollutants released. Utilities may only emit as much carbon as permitted under their allowances, which may be traded with others.) Thus, the EPA must allocate to coal refuse utilities in 2017 and subsequent years the same number of emissions allowances for sulfur dioxide that have been previously allocated to coal refuse utilities, instead of reducing allowances. After January 1, 2017, a coal refuse utility may not trade any unused sulfur dioxide allowances. Those allowances may be saved by the coal refuse utilities for use in future compliance periods. The EPA may not increase the total number of allowances for sulfur dioxide emissions from all sources that are allocated to each state. The bill eases emission limits for hazardous air pollutants from coal refuse utilities. The EPA must allow the utilities to meet compliance requirements by meeting the maximum achievable control technology standards for either hydrogen chloride or sulfur dioxide.

Federal Property Low Hanging Fruit Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2015

Federal Property Low Hanging Fruit Act This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, and the General Services Administration (covered agencies) to develop and carry out a plan to enter into agreements with eligible entities (defined to include a limited liability company, limited partnership, corporation, business trust, or nonprofit entity) to: (1) lease underutilized or excess federal real properties; and (2) develop, rehabilitate, or renovate facilities on such leased properties for the benefit of such agencies. Each covered agency shall identify between 5 and 10 federal real properties to be offered for lease under such agreements. Each agreement shall: (1) have as its primary purpose the enhancement of the functional and economic efficiency of federal real property; and (2) provide a fair market value lease option to the United States to occupy space in the facilities acquired, constructed, or rehabilitated under the agreement but shall not guarantee occupancy by the United States. A covered agency may: (1) provide services to the eligible entity that is party to the agreement, and (2) retain and use any revenues derived from such agreements for federal property management activities. The plan of a covered agency shall: (1) identify the federal real properties that the agency proposes to make available under such agreements, and (2) include project performance measures. A covered agency must submit to Congress: (1) all agreements to be entered into under the agency's plan within 3 years after enactment of this Act, and (2) the final draft of each agreement at least 30 days before entering into it. The Comptroller General shall submit to Congress reports on the effectiveness of the public-private agreement pilot program under this Act.

Clean Cookstoves and Fuels Support Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2015

Clean Cookstoves and Fuels Support Act This bill directs the Department of State to work to advance the goals of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. For working with the Alliance appropriations are authorized for the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Peace Corps.

THE GAO REPORT ON INDIAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT: POOR MANAGEMENT BY BIA HAS HINDERED DEVELOPMENT ON INDIAN LANDS

United States · United States Senate · 21 October 2015

Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2015

Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance Act This bill establishes in the legislative branch the Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance, which shall continually: verify the Islamic Republic of Iran's compliance with its obligations under the agreement, assess the adequacy of the safeguards and other control mechanisms contained in the agreement with respect to Iran's nuclear program, and assess the capacity of the International Atomic Energy Agency to implement the verification regime required by or related to the agreement. "Agreement" means an agreement related to Iran's nuclear program that includes the United States, commits the United States to take action, or pursuant to which the United States commits or otherwise agrees to take action, whether a political commitment or otherwise, and regardless of whether it is legally binding or not.

Prioritizing Energy-Efficient Renewables Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2015

Prioritizing Energy-Efficient Renewables Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credit for producing electricity from wind, geothermal and solar energy, hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities; (2) repeal the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells; (3) repeal the tax deduction for income attributable to the production, refining, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; and (4) repeal the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells.

Amos J. Hochstein, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Energy Resources), vice John Stern Wolf.

United States · United States Senate · 8 October 2015

Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2015 This bill codifies the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense program, which identifies, labels, and promotes water efficient products, buildings, landscapes, and services. This bill also establishes a program to provide financial incentives for consumers to purchase and install residential water efficient products and services labeled under the WaterSense program. In order to meet procurement requirements for a water consuming product or service, federal agencies must purchase a WaterSense product or service, or a Federal Energy Management Program designated product. Agencies do not have to procure those products or services if they are not cost-effective, or not reasonably available. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of individual taxpayers any amount received under an incentive program for the purchase and installation of residential water efficient products and services.

Expressing support for designation of October 8, 2015, as "National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day".

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Expresses support for the designation of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.

Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to: authorize a public housing agency (PHA) to make section 8 low-income rental assistance (voucher) payments to a dwelling unit after an inspection reveals non-life-threatening conditions, but suspend the payments after 30 days if the conditions are not corrected; and prescribe further requirements for enforcement of housing quality standards. The bill also revises requirements to vary the frequency of otherwise annual reviews of family income for public housing and section 8 programs, depending on certain decreases or increases in annual adjusted income. A PHA may establish a payment standard under the section 8 program of up to 120% of the fair market rent as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability, without approval of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A PHA must charge monthly rent according to a specified formula to a family whose income has exceeded 120% of the area's median income for two years, or terminate the family's tenancy. The bill also prescribes limitations, prohibitions, and related requirements with respect to: a family's eligibility for assistance based on assets, units owned by PHAs, PHA project-based assistance, the establishment of fair market rent, denial of utility reimbursements, public housing Capital and Operating Funds, and expansion of the family unification program. The Housing Act of 1949 is amended to authorize HUD to delegate to certain preferred lenders its authority to approve and execute binding Rural Housing Service loan guarantees. HUD may establish a Multifamily Housing Revitalization Program to preserve and revitalize multifamily housing projects funded with certain loans to ensure that they have sufficient resources to provide safe and affordable housing for low-income residents and farm laborers. The National Housing Act is amended to require HUD to: streamline the project certification requirements applicable to mortgage insurance on condominium projects to make recertifications substantially less burdensome than certifications, and allow either the direct endorsement lender review and approval process or the HUD review and approval process when excepting a condominium property from the mortgage insurance requirement regarding the percentage of its floor space that may be used for nonresidential or commercial purposes. Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to allow (in addition to a state, local government, or public housing agency) a private nonprofit organization to administer permanent housing rental assistance provided through the Continuum of Care Program. Requires HUD, at least once (currently, twice) during each fiscal year, to reallocate any housing assistance provided from the Emergency Solutions Grants Program that is unused or returned or that becomes available after minimum allocation requirements are met. Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to transfer from the HUD Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs to the Office of the HUD Secretary a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs to coordinate all HUD programs and activities relating to veterans. Directs HUD and the VA to report annually to Congress about veterans homelessness and housing assistance. Fraud and abuse prevention requirements and measures of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988 shall apply to the HUD Disaster Housing Assistance Program. The Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1990 (LIHPRHA) is amended to prescribe requirements for a property owner's annual distribution of surplus cash generated by the property which is subject to a plan of action or use agreement HUD may approve for extension of the low-income affordability restrictions on any eligible low-income housing. Neither LIHPRHA, nor any plan of action or use agreement implementing it, shall restrict an owner from obtaining a new loan or refinancing an existing loan secured by a low-income housing project, or from distributing the proceeds of such a loan. Such an owner, however, must comply with specified requirements. HUD shall establish a demonstration program for executing budget-neutral, performance-based agreements with appropriate entities in FY2016-FY2019 (for up to 12 years each) that result in cost reductions in projects for energy or water conservation improvements at up to 20,000 residential units in multifamily buildings participating in Section 8 project-based rental assistance programs, supportive housing for the elderly programs, or supportive housing for persons with disabilities programs. The Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996 is amended, with respect to grants to national and regional organizations and consortia with experience in providing or facilitating self-help housing homeownership opportunities, to prohibit HUD from requiring any dwelling developed using such grant amounts to meet any energy efficiency standards other than those specified by the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. The United States Housing Act of 1937 is amended to direct HUD to designate data exchange standards to govern: necessary categories of information that state agencies operating related programs must exchange electronically with another state agency, and federal reporting and data exchange required under applicable law.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 538) to facilitate the development of energy on Indian lands by reducing Federal regulations that impede tribal development of Indian lands, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 702) to adapt to changing crude oil market conditions.

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 538) to facilitate the development of energy on Indian lands by reducing Federal regulations that impede tribal development of Indian lands, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 702) to adapt to changing crude oil market conditions.

PTC Elimination Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

PTC Elimination Act This bill repeals the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable resources (e.g., wind, biomass, trash, geothermal or solar energy facilities). The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that such credit should be allowed to expire and should not be extended.

West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.

THE POTENTIAL MODERNIZATION OF THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE AND RELATED ENERGY SECURITY ISSUES

United States · United States Senate · 6 October 2015

HELP Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015

Healthy Employee Loss Prevention Act of 2015 or the HELP Act Authorizes the following groups to petition for eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance to the Critical Employment Advisory Commission (established by this Act) and the governor of a state: a group of adversely affected workers; the certified or recognized union or other duly authorized representative of such workers; or employers of such workers, one-stop operators or one-stop partners, including state employment security agencies, or the state dislocated worker unit, on their behalf. Defines "adversely affected worker" to mean an individual who, because of lack of work in adversely affected employment, has been been totally or partially separated from such employment, or has been totally separated from employment with the company in a subdivision of which adversely affected employment exists. Directs the Commission to certify a group of adversely affected workers as eligible for adjustment assistance if: they were coal miners, coal utility workers, or other workers in the coal industry or a coal-dependent industry; a significant number of the company's workers have become, or are threatened to become, totally or partially separated or have experienced, or are threatened to experience, a significant reduction in wages; and the company's sales or production, or both, have caused a shift contributing to the worker's separation or threat of separation. Requires any complete or partial separation or reduction in wages to be directly attributable to: actions by the federal government, the low-cost of other forms of energy, the existence of state-to-state electricity market competition, or other reasons the Commission determines. Requires the payment of a readjustment allowance to an adversely affected worker covered by an eligibility certification who files an application for any week of unemployment, provided certain conditions have been met. Requires the Commission to: make available employment and case management services, directly or through state agreements, to adversely affected workers as well as adversely affected incumbent workers; and approve training for such workers in cases where suitable employment is not available. Authorizes states to use certain funds for adversely affected workers for payment of job search and relocation allowances. Establishes the Commission and the Transition Adjustment Assistance Fund to carry out this Act.

Establishing a Select Investigative Panel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015

Establishes a Select Investigative Panel of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to investigate and report on: medical procedures and business practices used by entities involved in fetal tissue procurement; any other relevant matters with respect to such procurement; federal funding and support for abortion providers; the practices of providers of second and third trimester abortions, including partial birth abortion and procedures that may lead to a child born alive as a result of an attempted abortion; medical procedures for the care of a child born alive as a result of an attempted abortion; and any changes in law or regulation necessary resulting from such findings.

An Act Making Appropriations to Stop Regulatory Excess and for Other Purposes, 2016

United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2015

An Act Making Appropriations to Stop Regulatory Excess and for Other Purposes, 2016 Provides FY2016 appropriations for financial services and general government; the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency; the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and several related agencies. Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2016 Department of the Treasury Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of the Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Service. Executive Office of the President Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Executive Office of the President. Judiciary Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the judiciary, including the Supreme Court of the United States and other federal courts. District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the District of Columbia, including Federal Funds and District of Columbia Funds. Provides appropriations to independent agencies responsible for overseeing areas such as the financial, telecommunications, and consumer products industries; federal elections; the federal workforce; and federal buildings. D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program School Certification Requirements Act Amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to establish additional requirements for schools participating in the program. Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, the Truth in Lending Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and other laws that regulate financial institutions and securities markets. Changes the process and criteria for determining the size of financial entities that are systemically important and are subject to additional regulations and oversight. Amends provisions that provide protections to consumers of various financial products. Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of the Interior for: the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education. Provides appropriations to Interior for Departmental Offices and Department-Wide Programs. Provides appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency. Provides appropriations to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Forest Service. Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Indian Health Service, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Provides appropriations for the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Environmental Quality, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, and other related agencies and programs. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require specified adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2016-FY2021 to accommodate appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at USDA and Interior. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Labor for: the Employment and Training Administration, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Departmental Management. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for: the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, and the Office of the Secretary. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Education and related programs. Provides appropriations to related agencies, including: the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Social Security Administration. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2015

Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that increasing the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers will strengthen the national economy. Investing in America's Workforce Act The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended to require state or local workforce investment systems to use youth activities funds allocated to a local area for programs that provide training. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to: (1) extend through 2016 the tax credit for increasing research activities, and (2) increase and make permanent the alternative simplified research tax credit. The Joint Committee on Taxation shall notify Congress of any introduced tax reform bill for: (1) a transition to a more globally competitive corporate tax code, (2) a reduction in the code's complexity, and (3) the elimination of special interest loopholes. The Department of Homeland Security shall establish within the Office of International Trade of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) a Trade Remedy Law Enforcement Division (including a National Targeting and Analysis Group) to prevent and counter evasion of antidumping (AD) duty or countervailing duty (CVD) orders with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. The Tariff Act of 1930 is amended to permit access to certain proprietary information to a CBP officer or employee investigating possible negligence or gross negligence with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. The Department of the Treasury shall negotiate and enter into bilateral agreements with customs authorities of foreign countries to prevent evasion of U.S. and foreign trade remedy laws. This bill prescribes procedures for the administering authority (the Department of Commerce, or any other U.S. officer responsible for such duties) to initiate an AD or CV duty investigation for merchandise imported into the United States upon its own initiation, or the filing of a petition by interested parties or referral by the CBP Commissioner. The weighted average dumping margin or individual CVD rate determined for a new exporter or producer of merchandise in a review by the administering authority as to whether an AD or CVD shall be imposed shall be based solely on the bona fide U.S. sales made by the exporter or producer during the period of review. It is the sense of Congress that the Export Administration Act of 1979 should be reformed and reauthorized. Federal Spectrum Incentive Act of 2015 The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act is amended to allow federal entities that utilize government station licenses to participate in the incentive auction program under which licensees of electromagnetic spectrum voluntarily relinquish their spectrum rights in order for the spectrum to be auctioned for a repurposed commercial use in exchange for a percentage of the auction proceeds. A Federal Spectrum Incentive Fund is established in the Treasury. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must, before promulgating a final rule that regulates any aspect of the production, supply, distribution, or use of energy (or that provides for regulation by state or local governments) and that is estimated by EPA or OMB to impose aggregate costs of more than $1 billion, to report: (1) an estimate of the rule's total costs and benefits, (2) an estimate of the increases in energy prices that may result, and (3) a detailed description of the employment effects that may result. Electricity Security and Affordability Act The EPA may not issue, implement, or enforce any proposed or final rule under the Clean Air Act that establishes a performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from any new source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit unless the rule meets specified requirements of this Act. The force and effect of specified proposed rules (or similar successor proposed or final rules) are nullified for Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units issued before enactment of this Act. LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act For proposals that must also obtain authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the U.S. Maritime Administration to site, construct, expand, or operate liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities, the Department of Energy (DOE) shall 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 enactment of this Act. The Natural Gas Act is amended to set as a condition for approval of any authorization to export LNG that the DOE require the applicant to disclose publicly its specific destination or destinations. Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is amended to require state programs for regulation of surface coal mining to incorporate the necessary rule concerning excess spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams published by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on December 12, 2008. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010 are repealed, effective as of their enactment. The provisions amended or repealed by such Acts are restored or revived. The Public Health Service Act (PHSA), as restored under this Act, is amended to prohibit a group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage from establishing lifetime limits on the dollar value of benefits for any individual. Each state must mitigate the cost of high risk individuals in the state through: (1) a state reinsurance program, or (2) a state high risk pool. The PHSA is amended to require the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) to apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with the conditions of this Act. Conditions are prescribed for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims. The PHSA is amended to deem a hospital or an emergency department and a physician or physician group to be a Public Health Service employee with federal liability protection for purposes of any civil action arising from emergency and post-stabilization services. Nothing in the McCarran-Ferguson Act (which exempts the insurance business generally from federal regulation) shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance. No class action may be heard in a federal or state court on a claim against a person engaged in the business of health insurance for violation of any of the antitrust laws except for actions commenced by: the United States or any state; or a named claimant for an injury only to itself. A health care professional shall not be liable under federal or state law, with certain exceptions, for harm caused by any act or omission if: (1) the professional is serving as a volunteer in response to a disaster; and (2) the act or omission occurs during the period of the disaster, in the professional's capacity as such a volunteer, and in a good faith belief that the individual being treated is in need of health care services. The plaintiff in any civil action or proceeding against a health care professional bears the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the limitation of liability under the Act does not apply. Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2015 The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) is amended to direct Interior to implement a lease sales program that includes at least 50% of the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources. Interior shall develop a five-year oil and gas leasing program with a domestic strategic production goal determined according to a specified formula. Interior shall conduct oil and gas Lease Sale 220 offshore Virginia, subject to a specified condition if the Department of Defense proposes a deferral from a lease offering due to irreconcilable defense-related activities. Interior shall conduct a lease sale within two years after enactment of this Act for certain areas off the coast of South Carolina with the most geologically promising hydrocarbon resources. Interior must: (1) offer for sale leases of tracts in the Santa Maria and Santa Barbara/Ventura Basins of the Southern California OCS Planning Area, and (2) prepare for all lease sales required under this Act a NEPA multisale environmental impact statement. 37.5% of the amount of new federal leasing revenues shall be allocated to affected coastal states within 200 miles of the leased tract. This bill establishes in Interior: (1) an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals; (2) an Assistant Secretary of Ocean Energy and Safety; (3) an Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management; (4) a Bureau of Ocean Energy; (5) an Ocean Energy Safety Service; and (6) an Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Interior shall establish: (1) a National Offshore Energy Safety Academy, and (2) an OCS Energy Safety Advisory Board. Interior shall also: (1) certify annually that certain of its personnel comply fully with federal employee ethics laws and regulations; and (2) conduct random drug testing of such personnel. The Minerals Management Service is abolished. Interior shall collect non-refundable fees from the operators of facilities subject to inspection. An Ocean Energy Enforcement Fund is established in the Treasury for deposit of such fees. The Bureau of Ocean Energy and the Ocean Energy Safety Service may not implement any limitation on activities under their jurisdictions because of the coastal and marine spatial planning component of the National Ocean Policy developed under Executive Order No. 13547. The OCS is redefined to include all submerged lands lying within the U.S. exclusive economic zone and the Continental Shelf adjacent to any U.S. territory. Interior shall promulgate rules regarding the revenue streams contemplated by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, including the timing and methods of disbursements of certain funds under such Act. For FY2024-FY2055 the maximum amount of qualified OCS revenues distributed to Gulf producing states shall be increased. The South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Planning Area is defined. The OCSLA is amended to require the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to enter into partnerships to conduct oil- or gas-related geological and geophysical investigations on the OCS with institutions of higher education nominated by the governors of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act Interior shall encourage the use of U.S. workers and equipment manufactured in the U.S. in all construction related to mineral resource development under this Act. Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2015 The Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) is amended to direct Interior to revise requirements for the processing of drill permit applications. A permit application shall be deemed approved if Interior has not made a decision by 60 days after its receipt. Interior shall collect specified fees for processing a drill permit application and for documentation to accompany each protest for an application, a lease, or a right of way. Interior shall: establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project in every Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field office responsible for permitting energy projects on federal land, and provide 50% matching funds for joint projects with states to conduct oil and gas resource assessments on federal lands with significant oil and gas potential. Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 201 5 Interior, in conducting lease sales under the MLA, must offer for sale at least 25% of the annual nominated acreage not previously made available for lease. This acreage shall be shielded from protest and eligible for categorical exclusions under NEPA. Interior shall not: withdraw any covered energy project without finding a violation of lease terms by the lessee; delay indefinitely issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, and rights of way for activities under a lease; or cancel or withdraw any lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and a winning bidder has made the last payment for the parcel. The BLM Instruction Memorandum 2010-117 (which establishes a process to ensure orderly, effective, timely, and environmentally responsible leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands) shall have no force or effect. Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act or the PIONEERS Act The final regulations regarding oil shale management published by the BLM on November 18, 2008, as well as a specified resource management plan, are deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements under any law, and Interior shall implement them, including the oil shale leasing program they authorize, without any other administrative action necessary. Interior shall hold a lease sale that offers an additional ten parcels for lease for research, development, and demonstration of oil shale resources, including at least five separate commercial lease sales, in multiple lease blocs, in certain areas of at least 25,000 acres. Planning for American Energy Act of 2015 The MLA is amended to direct Interior to publish every four years a Quadrennial Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy. National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act The Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 is amended to require the competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska to include at least one lease sale annually in those areas most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year between 2017-2027. Interior must ensure permits according to a specified time line for all surface development activities, including pipelines and roads construction, to: (1) develop NPR areas subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska. Interior must issue: (1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the non-adopted alternatives in the NPR Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision dated February 21, 2013. The February 21, 2013, Record of Decision shall have no force or effect. The U.S. Geological Survey shall conduct and complete a resource assessment in cooperation with Alaska and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. BLM Live Internet Auctions Act The MLA is amended to authorize Interior to conduct onshore oil and gas lease sales through Internet-based live bidding methods. Native American Energy Act The Energy Policy Act of 1992 is amended to allow Interior, an affected Indian tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the Indian tribe to appraise Indian land or trust assets involved in a transaction requiring Interior approval. Tribes may, however, waive such appraisals. The Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 is amended to direct Interior to enter into agreements with Indian tribes to carry out demonstration projects involving woody biomass from federal lands to promote biomass energy production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities. The Long-Term Leasing Act is amended to authorize the Navajo Nation to enter into mineral resource leases on their restricted lands without Interior's approval. No Interior rule regarding hydraulic fracturing may have any effect on land held in trust or restricted status for Indians, except with the express consent of its specific beneficiaries. Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act Interior may not enforce any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding hydraulic fracturing 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. (Hydraulic fracturing is 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.) The GAO shall examine the economic benefits of domestic shale oil and gas production resulting from hydraulic fracturing. Interior shall not enforce any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement governing the hydraulic fracturing process, or any of its components, relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on land held either in trust or restricted status for the benefit of Indians except with the express consent of the specific beneficiary. The President shall establish or designate a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Advisory Panel. The National Science Foundation shall establish, within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, a STEM Education Coordinating Office.

California Minerals, Off-Road Recreation, and Conservation Act

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

California Minerals, Off-Road Recreation, and Conservation Act Specified off-highway vehicle recreation areas are designated or expanded in San Bernardino County, California. Certain wilderness areas in California are also designated or expanded, and specified study areas released from further study. The boundaries of Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve are revised. The California Desert Protection Act of 1994 is amended to revise the boundaries of Joshua Tree National Park and authorize a visitor center. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is revised to designate certain wild, scenic, and recreational rivers in California. There are established the Black Lava Butte and Flat Top Mesa Area of Critical Environmental Concern, the Mojave Trails Special Management Area, and the Sand to Snow National Monument Federal reversionary interests in certain land in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California are released. Certain requirements of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 for specified California state school land are revised. Development of renewable energy generation facilities on Juniper Flats is prohibited. Specified land exchanges are authorized in the San Gorgonio Wilderness and other specified areas. Requirements are prescribed for conveyance of certain federal lands for the Apple Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area and to the city of Twentynine Palms, California. The Department of the Interior shall ensure that members of specified Indian tribes have access to designated areas for traditional cultural and religious purposes. Interior may accept landowner-requested deed restrictions on land donated to or acquired by the United States or, consistent with existing rights, create deed restrictions, easements, or other third-party rights relating to any public land necessary to fulfill certain mitigation requirements or to satisfy the conditions of a habitat conservation plan or general conservation plan. No extension or establishment of any national monument that would include any designated area may be undertaken by the President except by express authorization of Congress. A project to install and operate a fiberoptic cable by Inyo County, California, along a certain route shall be eligible for a categorical exclusion from requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.