Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement Act

Summary: Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to permit the use of rights of way for natural gas pipelines through public lands, forest, and other reservations of the United States, and specified national parks in California. Defines &quot;gas gathering line and associated field compression unit&quot; as: (1) a pipeline installed to transport natural gas production associated with one or more wells drilled and completed to produce crude oil; and (2) if necessary, a compressor to raise the pressure of that transported natural gas to higher pressures suitable to enable the gas to flow into pipelines and other facilities. Excludes from such definition any pipeline or compression unit installed to transport natural gas from a processing plant to a common carrier pipeline or facility.  Excludes from federal lands, for purposes of gas gathering line and associated field compression units, any unit of the National Park System, any unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, or a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.  Deems the issuance of a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gathering line and associated field compression unit located on federal or Indian land and servicing an oil well to be an action categorically excluded for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), if the line and the compression unit: (1) are within a field or unit for which an approved land use plan or an environmental document prepared pursuant to NEPA analyzed transportation of natural gas produced from one or more oil wells in that field or unit as a reasonably foreseeable activity, and (2) are located adjacent to an existing disturbed area for the construction of a road or pad. (A &quot;categorical exclusion&quot; 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.) Declares this categorical exclusion inapplicable if the governor of the state in which the federal land is located requests in writing that it be waived. Applies the categorical exclusion to Indian land for which the Indian tribe with jurisdiction over the land requests in writing that it be applied. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary to study permissible actions or proposed changes to federal law which would expedite permitting for gas gathering lines and associated field compression units on federal or Indian land to transport natural gas associated with crude oil production, on any land, to a processing plant or a common carrier pipeline for delivery to markets. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to direct the appropriate agency head to issue a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gathering line and associated field compression unit located on federal or public lands: (1) within 30 days after receiving the request for a line and compression unit described in this Act, and (2) within 60 days after receiving a request for all other lines and compression units.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) record volumes of natural gas production in the United 
        States as of the date of enactment of this Act are providing 
        enormous benefits to the United States, including by--
                    (A) reducing the need for imports of natural gas, 
                thereby directly reducing the trade deficit;
                    (B) strengthening trade ties among the United 
                States, Canada, and Mexico;
                    (C) providing the opportunity for the United States 
                to join the emerging global gas trade through the 
                export of liquefied natural gas;
                    (D) creating and supporting millions of new jobs 
                across the United States;
                    (E) adding billions of dollars to the gross 
                domestic product of the United States every year;
                    (F) generating additional Federal, State, and local 
                government tax revenues; and
                    (G) revitalizing the manufacturing sector by 
                providing abundant and affordable feedstock;
            (2) large quantities of natural gas are lost due to venting 
        and flaring, primarily in areas where natural gas 
        infrastructure has not been developed quickly enough, such as 
        States with large quantities of Federal land and Indian land;
            (3) permitting processes can hinder the development of 
        natural gas infrastructure, such as pipeline lines and 
        gathering lines on Federal land and Indian land; and
            (4) additional authority for the Secretary of the Interior 
        to approve natural gas pipelines and gathering lines on Federal 
        land and Indian land would--
                    (A) assist in bringing gas to market that would 
                otherwise be vented or flared; and
                    (B) significantly increase royalties collected by 
                the Secretary of the Interior and disbursed to Federal, 
                State, and tribal governments and individual Indians.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO APPROVE NATURAL GAS PIPELINES.

    Section 1 of the Act of February 15, 1901 (31 Stat. 790, chapter 
372; 16 U.S.C. 79) is amended by inserting ``, for natural gas 
pipelines'' after ``distribution of electrical power''.

SEC. 4. CERTAIN NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES LOCATED ON FEDERAL LAND AND 
              INDIAN LAND.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle B of title III of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 685) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``SEC. 319. CERTAIN NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES LOCATED ON FEDERAL LAND 
              AND INDIAN LAND.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Gas gathering line and associated field compression 
        unit.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `gas gathering line and 
                associated field compression unit' means--
                            ``(i) a pipeline that is installed to 
                        transport natural gas production associated 
                        with 1 or more wells drilled and completed to 
                        produce crude oil; and
                            ``(ii) if necessary, a compressor to raise 
                        the pressure of that transported natural gas to 
                        higher pressures suitable to enable the gas to 
                        flow into pipelines and other facilities.
                    ``(B) Exclusions.--The term `gas gathering line and 
                associated field compression unit' does not include a 
                pipeline or compression unit that is installed to 
                transport natural gas from a processing plant to a 
                common carrier pipeline or facility.
            ``(2) Federal land.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `Federal land' means 
                land the title to which is held by the United States.
                    ``(B) Exclusions.--The term `Federal land' does not 
                include--
                            ``(i) a unit of the National Park System;
                            ``(ii) a unit of the National Wildlife 
                        Refuge System; or
                            ``(iii) a component of the National 
                        Wilderness Preservation System.
            ``(3) Indian land.--The term `Indian land' means land the 
        title to which is held by--
                    ``(A) the United States in trust for an Indian 
                tribe or an individual Indian; or
                    ``(B) an Indian tribe or an individual Indian 
                subject to a restriction by the United States against 
                alienation.
    ``(b) Certain Natural Gas Gathering Lines.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the issuance 
        of a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gathering line and 
        associated field compression unit that is located on Federal 
        land or Indian land and that services any oil well shall be 
        considered to be an action that is categorically excluded (as 
        defined in section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this 
        Act)) for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
        1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) if the gas gathering line and 
        associated field compression unit are--
                    ``(A) within a field or unit for which an approved 
                land use plan or an environmental document prepared 
                pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
                1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) analyzed transportation 
                of natural gas produced from 1 or more oil wells in 
                that field or unit as a reasonably foreseeable 
                activity; and
                    ``(B) located adjacent to an existing disturbed 
                area for the construction of a road or pad.
            ``(2) Applicability.--
                    ``(A) Federal land.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply 
                to Federal land, or a portion of Federal land, for 
                which the Governor of the State in which the Federal 
                land is located submits to the Secretary of the 
                Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as 
                applicable, a written request that paragraph (1) not 
                apply to that Federal land (or portion of Federal 
                land).
                    ``(B) Indian land.--Paragraph (1) shall apply to 
                Indian land, or a portion of Indian land, for which the 
                Indian tribe with jurisdiction over the Indian land 
                submits to the Secretary of the Interior a written 
                request that paragraph (1) apply to that Indian land 
                (or portion of Indian land).
    ``(c) Effect on Other Law.--Nothing in this section affects or 
alters any requirement--
            ``(1) relating to prior consent under--
                    ``(A) section 2 of the Act of February 5, 1948 (25 
                U.S.C. 324); or
                    ``(B) section 16(e) of the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 
                U.S.C. 476(e)) (commonly known as the `Indian 
                Reorganization Act'); or
            ``(2) under any other Federal law (including regulations) 
        relating to tribal consent for rights-of-way across Indian 
        land.''.
    (b) Assessments.--Title XVIII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 1122) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 1841. NATURAL GAS GATHERING SYSTEM ASSESSMENTS.

    ``(a) Definition of Gas Gathering Line and Associated Field 
Compression Unit.--In this section, the term `gas gathering line and 
associated field compression unit' has the meaning given the term in 
section 319.
    ``(b) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
the Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, 
States, and Indian tribes, shall conduct a study to identify--
            ``(1) any actions that may be taken, under Federal law 
        (including regulations), to expedite permitting for gas 
        gathering lines and associated field compression units that are 
        located on Federal land or Indian land, for the purpose of 
        transporting natural gas associated with crude oil production 
        on any land to a processing plant or a common carrier pipeline 
        for delivery to markets; and
            ``(2) any proposed changes to Federal law (including 
        regulations) to expedite permitting for gas gathering lines and 
        associated field compression units that are located on Federal 
        land or Indian land, for the purpose of transporting natural 
        gas associated with crude oil production on any land to a 
        processing plant or a common carrier pipeline for delivery to 
        markets.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of the Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement Act, and every 180 days 
thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other 
appropriate Federal agencies, States, and Indian tribes, shall submit 
to Congress a report that describes--
            ``(1) the progress made in expediting permits for gas 
        gathering lines and associated field compression units that are 
        located on Federal land or Indian land, for the purpose of 
        transporting natural gas associated with crude oil production 
        on any land to a processing plant or a common carrier pipeline 
        for delivery to markets; and
            ``(2) any issues impeding that progress.''.
    (c) Technical Amendments.--
            (1) Section 1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public 
        Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 594) is amended by adding at the end of 
        subtitle B of title III the following:

``Sec. 319. Natural gas gathering lines located on Federal land and 
                            Indian land.''.
            (2) Section 1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public 
        Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 594) is amended by adding at the end of 
        title XXVIII the following:

``Sec. 1841. Natural gas gathering system assessments.''.

SEC. 5. DEADLINES FOR PERMITTING NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES UNDER THE 
              MINERAL LEASING ACT.

    Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 185) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(z) Natural Gas Gathering Lines.--The Secretary of the Interior 
or other appropriate agency head shall issue a sundry notice or right-
of-way for a gas gathering line and associated field compression unit 
(as defined in section 319(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005) that is 
located on Federal lands--
            ``(1) for a gas gathering line and associated field 
        compression unit described in section 319(b) of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005, not later than 30 days after the date on 
        which the applicable agency head receives the request for 
        issuance; and
            ``(2) for all other gas gathering lines and associated 
        field compression units, not later than 60 days after the date 
        on which the applicable agency head receives the request for 
        issuance.''.

SEC. 6. DEADLINES FOR PERMITTING NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES UNDER THE 
              FEDERAL LAND POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976.

    Section 504 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1764) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Natural Gas Gathering Lines.--The Secretary concerned shall 
issue a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gathering line and 
associated field compression unit (as defined in section 319(a) of the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005) that is located on public lands--
            ``(1) for a gas gathering line and associated field 
        compression unit described in section 319(b) of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005, not later than 30 days after the date on 
        which the applicable agency head receives the request for 
        issuance; and
            ``(2) for all other gas gathering lines and associated 
        field compression units, not later than 60 days after the date 
        on which the applicable agency head receives the request for 
        issuance.''.