I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4293 

To authorize the approval of natural gas pipelines and establish deadlines 

and expedite permits for certain natural gas gathering lines on Federal 

land and Indian land. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 25, 2014 

Mr. CRAMER (for himself and Mrs. LUMMIS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 authorize the approval of natural gas pipelines and establish deadlines and expedite permits for certain natural 

gas gathering lines on Federal land and Indian land. 

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 ‘‘Natural Gas Gathering 

5 Enhancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) record volumes of natural gas production in 

2 the United States as of the date of enactment of this 

3 Act are providing enormous benefits to the United 

4 States, including by— 

5 (A) reducing the need for imports of nat6 ural gas, thereby directly reducing the trade 

7 deficit; 

8 (B) strengthening trade ties among the 

9 United States, Canada, and Mexico; 

10 (C) providing the opportunity for the 

11 United States to join the emerging global gas 

12 trade through the export of liquefied natural 

13 gas; 

14 (D) creating and supporting millions of 

15 new jobs across the United States; 

16 (E) adding billions of dollars to the gross 

17 domestic product of the United States every 

18 year; 

19 (F) generating additional Federal, State, 

20 and local government tax revenues; and 

21 (G) revitalizing the manufacturing sector 

22 by providing abundant and affordable feedstock; 

23 (2) large quantities of natural gas are lost due 

24 to venting and flaring, primarily in areas where nat25 ural gas infrastructure has not been developed 


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1 quickly enough, such as States with large quantities 

2 of Federal land and Indian land; 

3 (3) permitting processes can hinder the develop4 ment of natural gas infrastructure, such as pipeline 

5 lines and gathering lines on Federal land and Indian 

6 land; and 

7 (4) additional authority for the Secretary of the 

8 Interior to approve natural gas pipelines and gath9 ering lines on Federal land and Indian land would— 

10 (A) assist in bringing gas to market that 

11 would otherwise be vented or flared; and 

12 (B) significantly increase royalties collected 

13 by the Secretary of the Interior and disbursed 

14 to Federal, State, and tribal governments and 

15 individual Indians. 

16 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO APPROVE NATURAL GAS PIPELINES. 

17 Section 1 of the Act of February 15, 1901 (31 Stat. 

18 790, chapter 372; 16 U.S.C. 79), is amended by inserting 

19 ‘‘, for natural gas pipelines’’ after ‘‘distribution of elec20 trical power’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. CERTAIN NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES LO2 CATED ON FEDERAL LAND AND INDIAN 

3 LAND. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title III of the En5 ergy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–58; 119 Stat. 

6 685) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 319. CERTAIN NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES LO8 CATED ON FEDERAL LAND AND INDIAN 

9 LAND. 

10 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 ‘‘(1) GAS GATHERING LINE AND ASSOCIATED

12 FIELD COMPRESSION UNIT.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘gas gath14 ering line and associated field compression unit’ 

15 means— 

16 ‘‘(i) a pipeline that is installed to 

17 transport natural gas production associ18 ated with 1 or more wells drilled and com19 pleted to produce crude oil; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) if necessary, a compressor to 

21 raise the pressure of that transported nat22 ural gas to higher pressures suitable to en23 able the gas to flow into pipelines and 

24 other facilities. 

25 ‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘gas gath26 ering line and associated field compression unit’ 


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1 does not include a pipeline or compression unit 

2 that is installed to transport natural gas from 

3 a processing plant to a common carrier pipeline 

4 or facility. 

5 ‘‘(2) FEDERAL LAND.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘Federal 

7 land’ means land the title to which is held by 

8 the United States. 

9 ‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘Federal 

10 land’ does not include— 

11 ‘‘(i) a unit of the National Park Sys12 tem; 

13 ‘‘(ii) a unit of the National Wildlife 

14 Refuge System; or 

15 ‘‘(iii) a component of the National 

16 Wilderness Preservation System. 

17 ‘‘(3) INDIAN LAND.—The term ‘Indian land’ 

18 means land the title to which is held by— 

19 ‘‘(A) the United States in trust for an In20 dian tribe or an individual Indian; or 

21 ‘‘(B) an Indian tribe or an individual In22 dian subject to a restriction by the United 

23 States against alienation. 

24 ‘‘(b) CERTAIN NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

2 the issuance of a sundry notice or right-of-way for 

3 a gas gathering line and associated field compression 

4 unit that is located on Federal land or Indian land 

5 and that services any oil well shall be considered to 

6 be an action that is categorically excluded (as de7 fined in section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of Federal 

8 Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment 

9 of this Act)) for purposes of the National Environ10 mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 

11 if the gas gathering line and associated field com12 pression unit are— 

13 ‘‘(A) within a field or unit for which an ap14 proved land use plan or an environmental docu15 ment prepared pursuant to the National Envi16 ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 

17 et seq.) analyzed transportation of natural gas 

18 produced from 1 or more oil wells in that field 

19 or unit as a reasonably foreseeable activity; and 

20 ‘‘(B) located adjacent to an existing dis21 turbed area for the construction of a road or 

22 pad. 

23 ‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.— 

24 ‘‘(A) FEDERAL LAND.—Paragraph (1) 

25 shall not apply to Federal land, or a portion of 


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1 Federal land, for which the Governor of the 

2 State in which the Federal land is located sub3 mits to the Secretary of the Interior or the Sec4 retary of Agriculture, as applicable, a written 

5 request that paragraph (1) not apply to that 

6 Federal land (or portion of Federal land). 

7 ‘‘(B) INDIAN LAND.—Paragraph (1) shall 

8 apply to Indian land, or a portion of Indian 

9 land, for which the Indian tribe with jurisdic10 tion over the Indian land submits to the Sec11 retary of the Interior a written request that 

12 paragraph (1) apply to that Indian land (or 

13 portion of Indian land). 

14 ‘‘(c) EFFECT ON OTHER LAW.—Nothing in this sec15 tion affects or alters any requirement— 

16 ‘‘(1) relating to prior consent under— 

17 ‘‘(A) section 2 of the Act of February 5, 

18 1948 (25 U.S.C. 324); or 

19 ‘‘(B) section 16(e) of the Act of June 18, 

20 1934 (25 U.S.C. 476(e)) (commonly known as 

21 the ‘Indian Reorganization Act’); or 

22 ‘‘(2) under any other Federal law (including 

23 regulations) relating to tribal consent for rights-of24 way across Indian land.’’. 


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1 (b) ASSESSMENTS.—Title XVIII of the Energy Policy 

2 Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–58; 119 Stat. 1122) is 

3 amended by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 1841. NATURAL GAS GATHERING SYSTEM ASSESS5 MENTS. 

6 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF GAS GATHERING LINE AND AS7 SOCIATED FIELD COMPRESSION UNIT.—In this section, 

8 the term ‘gas gathering line and associated field compres9 sion unit’ has the meaning given the term in section 319. 

10 ‘‘(b) STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

11 of enactment of the Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement 

12 Act, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with 

13 other appropriate Federal agencies, States, and Indian 

14 tribes, shall conduct a study to identify— 

15 ‘‘(1) any actions that may be taken, under Fed16 eral law (including regulations), to expedite permit17 ting for gas gathering lines and associated field com18 pression units that are located on Federal land or 

19 Indian land, for the purpose of transporting natural 

20 gas associated with crude oil production on any land 

21 to a processing plant or a common carrier pipeline 

22 for delivery to markets; and 

23 ‘‘(2) any proposed changes to Federal law (in24 cluding regulations) to expedite permitting for gas 

25 gathering lines and associated field compression 


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1 units that are located on Federal land or Indian 

2 land, for the purpose of transporting natural gas as3 sociated with crude oil production on any land to a 

4 processing plant or a common carrier pipeline for 

5 delivery to markets. 

6 ‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 

7 date of enactment of the Natural Gas Gathering Enhance8 ment Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary 

9 of the Interior, in consultation with other appropriate Fed10 eral agencies, States, and Indian tribes, shall submit to 

11 Congress a report that describes— 

12 ‘‘(1) the progress made in expediting permits 

13 for gas gathering lines and associated field compres14 sion units that are located on Federal land or Indian 

15 land, for the purpose of transporting natural gas as16 sociated with crude oil production on any land to a 

17 processing plant or a common carrier pipeline for 

18 delivery to markets; and 

19 ‘‘(2) any issues impeding that progress.’’. 

20 (c) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

21 (1) Section 1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 

22 2005 (Public Law 109–58; 119 Stat. 594) is amend23 ed by adding at the end of subtitle B of title III the 

24 following: 

‘‘Sec. 319. Natural gas gathering lines located on Federal land and Indian 

land.’’. 


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1 (2) Section (1)(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 

2 2005 (Public Law 109–58; 119 Stat. 594) is amend3 ed by adding at the end of title XXVIII the fol4 lowing: 

‘‘Sec. 1841. Natural gas gathering system assessments.’’. 

5 SEC. 5. DEADLINES FOR PERMITTING NATURAL GAS GATH6 ERING LINES UNDER THE MINERAL LEASING 

7 ACT. 

8 Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 

9 185) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(z) NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES.—The Sec11 retary of the Interior or other appropriate agency head 

12 shall issue a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gath13 ering line and associated field compression unit (as de14 fined in section 319(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005) 

15 that is located on Federal lands— 

16 ‘‘(1) for a gas gathering line and associated 

17 field compression unit described in section 319(b) of 

18 the Energy Policy Act of 2005, not later than 30 

19 days after the date on which the applicable agency 

20 head receives the request for issuance; and 

21 ‘‘(2) for all other gas gathering lines and asso22 ciated field compression units, not later than 60 

23 days after the date on which the applicable agency 

24 head receives the request for issuance.’’. 


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1 SEC. 6. DEADLINES FOR PERMITTING NATURAL GAS GATH2 ERING LINES UNDER THE FEDERAL LAND 

3 POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976. 

4 Section 504 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage5 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1764) is amended by adding 

6 at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(k) NATURAL GAS GATHERING LINES.—The Sec8 retary concerned shall issue a sundry notice or right-of9 way for a gas gathering line and associated field compres10 sion unit (as defined in section 319(a) of the Energy Pol11 icy Act of 2005) that is located on public lands— 

12 ‘‘(1) for a gas gathering line and associated 

13 field compression unit described in section 319(b) of 

14 the Energy Policy Act of 2005, not later than 30 

15 days after the date on which the applicable agency 

16 head receives the request for issuance; and 

17 ‘‘(2) for all other gas gathering lines and asso18 ciated field compression units, not later than 60 

19 days after the date on which the applicable agency 

20 head receives the request for issuance.’’. 

Æ 


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