Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion Act

Subjects: Energy


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3500 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3500

 To expedite completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 18, 2023

 Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, 
   Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, and Mr. 
   Meuser) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
 Committees on Natural Resources, and 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 expedite completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPEDITING COMPLETION OF THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE.

    (a) Definition of Mountain Valley Pipeline.--In this section, the 
term ``Mountain Valley Pipeline'' means the Mountain Valley Pipeline 
project, as generally described and approved in Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Docket Nos. CP16-10, CP19-477, and CP21-57.
    (b) Congressional Findings and Declaration.--The Congress hereby 
finds and declares that the timely completion of construction and 
operation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline is required in the national 
interest. The Mountain Valley Pipeline will serve demonstrated natural 
gas demand in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions, will 
increase the reliability of natural gas supplies and the availability 
of natural gas at reasonable prices, will allow natural gas producers 
to access additional markets for their product, and will reduce carbon 
emissions and facilitate the energy transition.
    (c) Approval and Ratification of Existing Authorizations.--Congress 
hereby ratifies and approves all authorizations, permits, 
verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take 
statements, and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to 
Federal law related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
    (d) Expedited Approval.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, not later than 21 days after the date of enactment of this Act and 
for the purpose of facilitating the completion of the Mountain Valley 
Pipeline--
            (1) the Secretary of the Army shall issue all permits or 
        verifications necessary--
                    (A) to complete the construction of the Mountain 
                Valley Pipeline across the waters of the United States; 
                and
                    (B) to allow for the operation and maintenance of 
                the Mountain Valley Pipeline;
            (2) the Secretary of Agriculture shall amend the Land and 
        Resource Management Plan for the Jefferson National Forest in a 
        manner that is substantively identical to the record of 
        decision with respect to the Mountain Valley Pipeline issued on 
        January 11, 2021, as may be modified by a subsequently issued 
        record of decision following the Supplemental Environmental 
        Impact Statement issued on April 13, 2023; and
            (3) the Secretary of the Interior shall grant and maintain 
        all necessary rights-of-way and temporary use permits in a 
        manner that is substantively identical to those rights-of-way 
        and temporary use permits approved with respect to the Mountain 
        Valley Pipeline issued on January 14, 2021, or as may be 
        modified by any subsequently issued rights-of-way and temporary 
        use permits.
    (e) Judicial Review.--
            (1) No action taken by the Secretary of the Army, the 
        Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, or a State 
        administrative agency acting pursuant to Federal law that 
        grants an authorization, permit, verification, biological 
        opinion, incidental take statement, or any other approval 
        related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, including the issuance 
        of any authorization, permit, extension, verification, 
        biological opinion, incidental take statement, or other 
        approval described in subsection (c) or (d) of this section for 
        the Mountain Valley Pipeline, whether issued prior to or 
        subsequent to the date of enactment of this section shall be 
        subject to judicial review, and any lawsuit (including any 
        lawsuit pending in a court as of the date of enactment of this 
        section) seeking judicial review of such an agency order or 
        action shall not be filed or maintained in any court and shall 
        be promptly dismissed.
            (2) The United States Court of Appeals for the District of 
        Columbia Circuit shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction 
        over any claim alleging the invalidity of this section or that 
        an action is beyond the scope of authority conferred by this 
        section.
    (f) Effect.--This section supersedes any other provision of law 
(including any other section of this Act or other statute, any 
regulation, any judicial decision, or any agency guidance) that is 
inconsistent with the issuance of any authorization, permit, 
verification, biological opinion, incidental take statement, or other 
approval for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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