I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2248 

To terminate the prohibitions on the exportation and importation of natural 

gas, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2019 

Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To terminate the prohibitions on the exportation and 

importation of natural gas, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘License Natural Gas 

5 Now Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘LNG Now Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HR 2248 IH

1 (1) the exportation of natural gas produced in 

2 the United States is in the interest of the United 

3 States; and 

4 (2) because natural gas produced in the United 

5 States has a lower greenhouse gas emissions profile 

6 than other energy sources used in high volumes in 

7 other countries, the exportation of natural gas from 

8 the United States may help lower global emissions of 

9 carbon dioxide. 

10 SEC. 3. EXPORTATION OR IMPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act 

12 (15 U.S.C. 717b) is amended— 

13 (1) by striking the section heading and all that 

14 follows through ‘‘(a) After’’ and inserting the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 3. EXPORTATION OR IMPORTATION OF NATURAL 

17 GAS; LNG TERMINALS. 

18 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION TO EXPORT OR IMPORT NAT19 URAL GAS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—After’’; 

21 (2) in subsection (a)— 

22 (A) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)— 

23 (i) in the second sentence, by striking 

24 ‘‘, unless,’’ and all that follows through the 

25 period at the end of the sentence and inVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:58 Apr 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2248.IH H2248

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•HR 2248 IH

1 serting ‘‘without modification or delay.’’; 

2 and 

3 (ii) in the third sentence, by striking 

4 ‘‘by its order’’ and all that follows through 

5 the period at the end of the sentence and 

6 inserting ‘‘condition the order on a require7 ment that the applicant, on request, pro8 vide relevant data to the Commission to fa9 cilitate the information collection and sta10 tistical activities of the Commission.’’; and 

11 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(2) AUTHORITY TO LIMIT EXPORTATION OF

13 NATURAL GAS.— 

14 ‘‘(A) MAJOR DISASTER OR EMERGENCY IN

15 UNITED STATES.—If the President declares a 

16 major disaster or emergency under the Robert 

17 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As18 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), the 

19 President may limit the volume of natural gas 

20 exported from the United States during the 90- 

21 day period beginning on the date on which the 

22 President declares the major disaster or emer23 gency. 

24 ‘‘(B) NATIONAL EMERGENCY UNDER

25 INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POWVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:58 Apr 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2248.IH H2248

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•HR 2248 IH

1 ERS ACT.—If the President declares a national 

2 emergency under section 202 of the Inter3 national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 

4 U.S.C. 1701) with respect to a country, the 

5 President may limit the volume of natural gas 

6 exported from the United States to that coun7 try. 

8 ‘‘(3) PROHIBITIONS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) PROHIBITION ON RESTRICTING NAT10 URAL GAS IMPORTATION OR EXPORTATION.— 

11 Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) 

12 or in any Federal authorization to export nat13 ural gas from the United States to a foreign 

14 country or to import natural gas into the 

15 United States from a foreign country in effect 

16 on the date of enactment of the LNG Now Act 

17 of 2019, to promote the efficient exploration, 

18 production, storage, supply, marketing, pricing, 

19 and regulation of energy resources, including 

20 fossil fuels, no employee of the Federal Govern21 ment shall impose or enforce any restriction or 

22 condition on— 

23 ‘‘(i) the exportation of natural gas 

24 from the United States to a foreign coun25 try; or 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•HR 2248 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) the importation of natural gas 

2 into the United States from a foreign 

3 country. 

4 ‘‘(B) SECRETARY OF ENERGY PROHIBI5 TION.—The Secretary of Energy shall not treat, 

6 on the basis of national origin, any imported 

7 natural gas on an unjust, unreasonable, unduly 

8 discriminatory, or preferential basis. 

9 ‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION OF IMPORTED NATURAL

10 GAS AS A FIRST SALE.—The importation of natural 

11 gas into the United States from a foreign country 

12 shall be considered to be a first sale (as defined in 

13 section 2 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (15 

14 U.S.C. 3301)).’’; 

15 (3) by striking subsections (b) and (c); and 

16 (4) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) 

17 as subsections (b) through (d), respectively. 

18 (b) EFFECT.—The amendments made by subsection 

19 (a) shall not affect any Federal authorization to export 

20 natural gas from the United States to a foreign country 

21 or to import natural gas into the United States from a 

22 foreign country in effect on the date of enactment of the 

23 LNG Now Act of 2019. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
6 

•HR 2248 IH

1 SEC. 4. REPORT ON FOSTERING NATURAL GAS EXPORTS. 

2 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit 

4 to Congress a report describing actions taken by the 

5 United States Government, and actions that could be 

6 taken by the United States Government, to foster the ex7 portation of natural gas from the United States to foreign 

8 countries. 

9 SEC. 5. REPORT ON EXISTING REGULATIONS. 

10 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact11 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit 

12 to Congress a report that identifies regulations in effect 

13 as of such date of enactment that inhibit the growth of 

14 the market for natural gas exported from the United 

15 States. 

16 SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act or an amend18 ment made by this Act shall be construed to limit the au19 thority of the President under— 

20 (1) the Constitution of the United States; 

21 (2) the International Emergency Economic 

22 Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or regulations 

23 issued under that Act; 

24 (3) the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 

25 1601 et seq.); 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
7 

•HR 2248 IH

1 (4) the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 

2 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.); or 

3 (5) any other provision of law that imposes 

4 sanctions with respect to a foreign person or foreign 

5 government (including any provision of law that pro6 hibits or restricts a United States person from en7 gaging in a transaction with a sanctioned person or 

8 government), including a foreign government that is 

9 designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. 

10 (b) STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DEFINED.—In 

11 this section, the term ‘‘state sponsor of terrorism’’ means 

12 a country the government of which the Secretary of State 

13 has determined to be a government that has repeatedly 

14 provided support for acts of international terrorism for 

15 purposes of— 

16 (1) section 6(j)(1)(A) of the Export Administra17 tion Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 4605(j)(1)(A)) (as con18 tinued in effect pursuant to the International Emer19 gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 

20 seq.)); 

21 (2) section 620A(a) of the Foreign Assistance 

22 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371(a)); 

23 (3) section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control 

24 Act (22 U.S.C. 2780(d)); or 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
8 

•HR 2248 IH

1 (4) any other provision of law. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS