114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 161 
AN ACT 
To provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, per-
mits, and approvals required under Federal law with 
respect to the siting, construction, expansion, or oper-
ation of any natural gas pipeline projects. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Natural Gas Pipeline 
Permitting Reform Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REGULATORY APPROVAL OF NATURAL GAS PIPE-
LINE PROJECTS. 
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(i)(1) The Commission shall approve or deny an ap-
plication for a certificate of public convenience and neces-
sity for a prefiled project not later than 12 months after 
receiving a complete application that is ready to be proc-
essed, as defined by the Commission by regulation. 
‘‘(2) The agency responsible for issuing any license, 
permit, or approval required under Federal law in connec-
tion with a prefiled project for which a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity is sought under this Act shall 
approve or deny the issuance of the license, permit, or ap-
proval not later than 90 days after the Commission issues 
its final environmental document relating to the project. 
‘‘(3) The Commission may extend the time period 
under paragraph (2) by 30 days if an agency demonstrates 
that it cannot otherwise complete the process required to 
approve or deny the license, permit, or approval, and 
therefor will be compelled to deny the license, permit, or 
approval. In granting an extension under this paragraph,
the Commission may offer technical assistance to the 
agency as necessary to address conditions preventing the 
completion of the review of the application for the license, 
permit, or approval. 
‘‘(4) If an agency described in paragraph (2) does 
not approve or deny the issuance of the license, permit, 
or approval within the time period specified under para-
graph (2) or (3), as applicable, such license, permit, or 
approval shall take effect upon the expiration of 30 days 
after the end of such period. The Commission shall incor-
porate into the terms of such license, permit, or approval 
any conditions proffered by the agency described in para-
graph (2) that the Commission does not find are incon-
sistent with the final environmental document. 
‘‘(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term 
‘prefiled project’ means a project for the siting, construc-
tion, expansion, or operation of a natural gas pipeline with 
respect to which a prefiling docket number has been as-
signed by the Commission pursuant to a prefiling process 
established by the Commission for the purpose of facili-
tating the formal application process for obtaining a cer-
tificate of public convenience and necessity.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives January 21, 
2015. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 161 
AN ACT 
To provide for the timely consideration of all li-
censes, permits, and approvals required under 
Federal law with respect to the siting, construc-
tion, expansion, or operation of any natural gas 
pipeline projects.