IIB 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1900 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 9, 2013 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation 

AN ACT 

To provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, permits, and approvals required under Federal law with 

respect to the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of any natural gas pipeline projects. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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HR 1900 RFS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Natural Gas Pipeline 

3 Permitting Reform Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REGULATORY APPROVAL OF NATURAL GAS PIPE5 LINE PROJECTS. 

6 Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f) 

7 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub8 section: 

9 ‘‘(i)(1) The Commission shall approve or deny an ap10 plication for a certificate of public convenience and neces11 sity for a prefiled project not later than 12 months after 

12 receiving a complete application that is ready to be proc13 essed, as defined by the Commission by regulation. 

14 ‘‘(2) The agency responsible for issuing any license, 

15 permit, or approval required under Federal law in connec16 tion with a prefiled project for which a certificate of public 

17 convenience and necessity is sought under this Act shall 

18 approve or deny the issuance of the license, permit, or ap19 proval not later than 90 days after the Commission issues 

20 its final environmental document relating to the project. 

21 ‘‘(3) The Commission may extend the time period 

22 under paragraph (2) by 30 days if an agency demonstrates 

23 that it cannot otherwise complete the process required to 

24 approve or deny the license, permit, or approval, and 

25 therefor will be compelled to deny the license, permit, or 

26 approval. In granting an extension under this paragraph, 


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HR 1900 RFS

1 the Commission may offer technical assistance to the 

2 agency as necessary to address conditions preventing the 

3 completion of the review of the application for the license, 

4 permit, or approval. 

5 ‘‘(4) If an agency described in paragraph (2) does 

6 not approve or deny the issuance of the license, permit, 

7 or approval within the time period specified under para8 graph (2) or (3), as applicable, such license, permit, or 

9 approval shall take effect upon the expiration of 30 days 

10 after the end of such period. The Commission shall incor11 porate into the terms of such license, permit, or approval 

12 any conditions proffered by the agency described in para13 graph (2) that the Commission does not find are incon14 sistent with the final environmental document. 

15 ‘‘(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term 

16 ‘prefiled project’ means a project for the siting, construc17 tion, expansion, or operation of a natural gas pipeline with 

18 respect to which a prefiling docket number has been as19 signed by the Commission pursuant to a prefiling process 

20 established by the Commission for the purpose of 


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HR 1900 RFS

1 facilitating the formal application process for obtaining a 

2 certificate of public convenience and necessity.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives November 21, 

2013. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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