National Energy Security Corridors Act

To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to identify and designate National Energy Security Corridors for the construction of natural gas pipelines on Federal land, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Energy Security Corridors Act 2. Designation of National Energy Security Corridors on Federal lands (a) In general Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 185 (1) In subsection (b)— (A) by striking (b)(1) For the purposes of this section Federal lands (b) (1) For the purposes of this section Federal lands (A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means ; (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (1) and inserting ; and (B) for purposes of granting an application for a natural gas pipeline right-of-way, means all lands owned by the United States except— (i) such lands held in trust for an Indian or Indian tribe; and (ii) lands on the Outer Continental Shelf. . (2) By redesignating subsection (b), as so amended, as subsection (z), and transferring such subsection to appear after subsection (y) of that section. (3) By inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) National Energy Security Corridors (1) Designation In addition to other authorities under this section, the Secretary shall— (A) identify and designate suitable Federal lands as National Energy Security Corridors (in this subsection referred to as a Corridor (B) incorporate such Corridors upon designation into the relevant agency land use and resource management plans or equivalent plans. (2) Considerations In evaluating Federal lands for designation as a National Energy Security Corridor, the Secretary shall— (A) employ the principle of multiple use to ensure route decisions balance national energy security needs with existing land use principles; (B) seek input from other Federal counterparts, State, local, and tribal governments, and affected utility and pipeline industries to determine the best suitable, most cost-effective, and commercially viable acreage for natural gas transmission facilities; (C) focus on transmission routes that improve domestic energy security through increasing reliability, relieving congestion, reducing natural gas prices, and meeting growing demand for natural gas; and (D) take into account technological innovations that reduce the need for surface disturbance. (3) Procedures The Secretary shall establish procedures to expedite and approve applications for rights-of-way for natural gas pipelines across National Energy Security Corridors, that— (A) ensure a transparent process for review of applications for rights-of-way on such corridors; (B) require an approval time of not more than 1 year after the date of receipt of an application for a right-of-way; and (C) require, upon receipt of such an application, notice to the applicant of a predictable timeline for consideration of the application, that clearly delineates important milestones in the process of such consideration. (4) State input (A) Requests authorized The Governor of a State may submit requests to the Secretary of the Interior to designate Corridors on Federal land in that State. (B) Consideration of requests After receiving such a request, the Secretary shall respond in writing, within 30 days— (i) acknowledging receipt of the request; and (ii) setting forth a timeline in which the Secretary shall grant, deny, or modify such request and state the reasons for doing so. (5) Spatial distribution of corridors In implementing this subsection, the Secretary shall coordinate with other Federal Departments to— (A) minimize the proliferation of duplicative natural gas pipeline rights-of-way on Federal lands where feasible; (B) ensure Corridors can connect effectively across Federal lands; and (C) utilize input from utility and pipeline industries submitting applications for rights-of-way to site corridors in economically feasible areas that reduce impacts, to the extent practicable, on local communities. (6) Not a major Federal action Designation of a Corridor under this subsection, and incorporation of Corridors into agency plans under paragraph (1)(B), shall not be treated as a major Federal action for purpose of section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332 (7) No limit on number or length of Corridors Nothing in this subsection limits the number or physical dimensions of Corridors that the Secretary may designate under this subsection. (8) Other authority not affected Nothing in this subsection affects the authority of the Secretary to issue rights-of-way on Federal land that is not located in a Corridor designated under this subsection. (9) NEPA clarification All applications for rights-of-way for natural gas transmission facilities across Corridors designated under this subsection shall be subject to the environmental protections outlined in subsection (h). . (b) Applications received before designation of Corridors Any application for a right-of-way under section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 185 (c) Deadline Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall designate at least 10 National Energy Security Corridors under the amendment made by subsection (a) in contiguous States referred to in section 368(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15926(b) 3. Notification requirement The Secretary of the Interior shall promptly notify the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate of each instance in which any agency or official of the Department of the Interior fails to comply with any schedule established under section 15(c) of the Natural Gas Act ( 15 U.S.C. 717n(c) October 6, 2015 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: National Energy Security Corridors Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to allow natural gas pipeline rights-of-way through all federally owned lands, including lands in the National Park System, except lands held in trust for an Indian or Indian tribe and lands on the outer Continental Shelf. The Department of the Interior must: (1) identify and designate suitable federal lands as National Energy Security Corridors for construction, operation, and maintenance of natural gas transmission facilities; and (2) incorporate such Corridors into the relevant agency land use and resource management plans. Additionally, Interior shall: (1) take into account certain considerations when evaluating federal land for designation as a National Energy Security Corridor, and (2) establish specified procedures to expedite and approve applications for rights-of-way for natural gas pipelines across National Energy Security Corridors. The governor of a state may request Corridors to be designated on federal land within that state. For purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 neither the designation of a Corridor, nor the incorporation of a Corridor into agency plans, shall be treated as a major federal action subject to environmental impact evaluation. All applications for rights-of-way for natural gas transmission facilities across the designated Corridors shall be subject to specified environmental protections. (Sec. 3) Interior shall notify certain congressional committees whenever an agency or Interior official fails to comply with federal authorization schedules established under the Natural Gas Act.