II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3661 

To amend the Natural Gas Act to authorize expedited approval of applications 

to export natural gas to certain allies of the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2022 

Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. CASSIDY, and Mr. ROUNDS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Natural Gas Act to authorize expedited approval of applications to export natural gas to certain 

allies of the United States, 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 ‘‘Expediting Natural 

5 Gas Exports to Allies Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATURAL GAS EXPORTS TO ALLIES AND STRATEGIC 

7 PARTNERS. 

8 (a) FINDING.—Congress finds that expediting the ap9 proval of natural gas export applications for projects inVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 Feb 19, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3661.IS S3661

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1 tended to increase the capacity of the United States to 

2 export natural gas to allies and strategic partners will— 

3 (1) empower United States natural gas export4 ers to better assist the strategic and national secu5 rity interests of the United States and allies and 

6 strategic partners of the United States; and 

7 (2) lead to job growth, economic development, 

8 and energy security. 

9 (b) NATURAL GAS EXPORTS.—Section 3(c) of the 

10 Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(c)) is amended— 

11 (1) by striking ‘‘(c) For purposes’’ and insert12 ing the following: 

13 ‘‘(c) EXPEDITED APPLICATION AND APPROVAL

14 PROCESS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF COVERED NATION.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In this subsection, the 

17 term ‘covered nation’— 

18 ‘‘(i) means an ally described in section 

19 3(b)(2) of the Arms Export Control Act 

20 (22 U.S.C. 2753(b)(2)); and 

21 ‘‘(ii) during the period described in 

22 subparagraph (B), includes Cyprus, Fin23 land, Moldova, Sweden, Taiwan, and 

24 Ukraine. 


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1 ‘‘(B) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—The period de2 scribed in this subparagraph is the period— 

3 ‘‘(i) beginning on the date of enact4 ment of the Expediting Natural Gas Ex5 ports to Allies Act; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) ending on December 31, 2026, or 

7 such later date as the President determines 

8 is in the interest of national defense (as 

9 defined in section 702 of the Defense Pro10 duction Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4552)) or 

11 is otherwise in the interests of the United 

12 States. 

13 ‘‘(2) EXPEDITED APPROVAL.—Except as pro14 vided in paragraph (3), for purposes’’; 

15 (2) in paragraph (2) (as so designated), by in16 serting ‘‘the exportation of natural gas to a covered 

17 nation,’’ before ‘‘or the exportation’’; and 

18 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(3) EXCLUSIONS.— 

20 ‘‘(A) NATIONS SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS.— 

21 The Commission shall not grant expedited ap22 proval under paragraph (2) of an application 

23 for exportation of natural gas to any nation 

24 that is subject to sanctions or trade restrictions 

25 imposed by the United States. 


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1 ‘‘(B) NATIONS DESIGNATED BY CON2 GRESS.—The Commission shall not grant expe3 dited approval under paragraph (2) of an appli4 cation for exportation of natural gas to any na5 tion designated by an Act of Congress as ex6 cluded from such expedited approval for reasons 

7 of national security.’’. 

8 (c) EFFECT.—The amendments made by subsection 

9 (b) shall not affect any Federal authorization to export 

10 natural gas from the United States to a foreign nation 

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

12 foreign nation that is in effect on the date of enactment 

13 of this Act. 

Æ 


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