I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8487 
To prevent energy poverty in at-risk communities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 1, 2020 
Mr. KEVIN HERN of Oklahoma (for himself, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. 
NEWHOUSE, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. BALDERSON, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. WEBER 
of Texas, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. BISHOP of 
Utah, and Ms. CHENEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Commit-
tees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To prevent energy poverty in at-risk communities, and for 
other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Energy Poverty Pre-
vention and Accountability Act’’. 
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States that— 
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(1) all citizens should have equal access to af-
fordable and reliable energy to maintain personal 
health and economic security; 
(2) the United States should mitigate the dis-
parate impact of increases in the cost of energy on 
at-risk communities because such communities are 
more likely to have a fixed income and spend a high-
er percentage of their income on energy than the 
general population; and 
(3) to prevent energy poverty and to ensure 
that each at-risk community has access to affordable 
energy, the United States should ensure that laws 
relating to environmental and energy policy, includ-
ing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the Mi-
gratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), do 
not have the effect of increasing the cost of energy 
for any at-risk community. 
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR REPORT ON AC-
CESS TO RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE EN-
ERGY. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit 
to Congress a report that— 
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(1) identifies barriers to the ability of at-risk 
communities that live on or near Federal land or 
Tribal land to access reliable and affordable energy, 
including how the presence of adequate energy 
transmission infrastructure affects such access; and 
(2) recommends actions that the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Chief of the Forest Service 
could take to reduce the barriers described in para-
graph (1), including by— 
(A) establishing lower fees or lowering 
other costs; 
(B) streamlining the approval of rights-of- 
way on Federal land and Tribal land; 
(C) encouraging private energy sector in-
vestment in Federal land and Tribal land; and 
(D) rapidly developing electric trans-
mission and delivery systems in remote areas. 
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATES FOR 
EFFECTS ON ENERGY PRICES. 
The Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
shall include in each applicable estimate required under 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget and Impound-
ment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653) an estimate of 
how the bill or resolution will affect the cost of energy 
for at-risk communities. 
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SEC. 5. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE IDENTI-
FICATION OF ENERGY POVERTY. 
(a) ANALYSIS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct an analysis of Fed-
eral energy and environmental laws, regulations 
issued by the Secretary of the Interior and the Chief 
of the Forest Service that relate to energy and envi-
ronmental policy, and State renewable portfolio 
standards to determine how such laws, regulations, 
and standards affect the following prices for at-risk 
communities during the preceding fiscal year: 
(A) Electricity prices. 
(B) Home heating prices. 
(C) Gasoline prices. 
(D) Motor vehicle prices. 
(E) Natural gas prices. 
(F) Household appliance prices. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the analysis conducted under para-
graph (1). 
(b) ENERGY POVERTY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall develop criteria to determine 
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whether an at-risk community is experiencing energy 
poverty. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to Con-
gress a report that— 
(A) identifies, by location and type of at- 
risk community, which at-risk communities are 
experiencing energy poverty; and 
(B) provides recommendations on how to 
reduce such energy poverty. 
SEC. 6. OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET REVIEW OF 
ENERGY REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget shall review each applicable en-
ergy regulation to determine if any applicable energy regu-
lation imposes, relative to the general population, dis-
proportionate costs on at-risk communities. 
(b) PUBLICATION.—The Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget shall publish in the Federal Reg-
ister the results of the review required under subsection 
(a). 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) AT-RISK COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘at-risk 
community’’ means each of the following: 
(A) A low-income community. 
(B) A minority community. 
(C) A rural community. 
(D) An elderly community. 
(E) A Native American community. 
(2) APPLICABLE
ENERGY
REGULATION.—The 
term ‘‘applicable energy regulation’’ means any Fed-
eral regulation that relates to energy and— 
(A) has an annual effect on the economy 
of at least $100,000,000; 
(B) results in a major increase in costs or 
prices for any consumer, industry, government 
agency, or geographic region; or 
(C) has a significant adverse effect on 
competition, employment, investment, produc-
tivity, innovation, or the ability of an enterprise 
based in the United States to compete with a 
foreign-based enterprise in a domestic or inter-
national market. 
(3) ENERGY POVERTY.—The term ‘‘energy pov-
erty’’ means insufficient access to affordable energy. 
(4) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means any land that is under the jurisdiction of the 
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