I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3829 
To require a certain percentage of natural gas and crude oil exports be 
transported on United States-built and United States-flag vessels, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2019 
Mr. GARAMENDI (for himself, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. 
FITZPATRICK, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. POCAN, Mr. HUNTER, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. KING of New York, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. 
BROWNLEY of California, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 
Mr. GOLDEN, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. NORCROSS, 
and Mrs. LURIA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, 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 require a certain percentage of natural gas and crude 
oil exports be transported on United States-built and 
United States-flag vessels, 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 ‘‘Energizing American 
Shipbuilding Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL POLICY ON STRATEGIC ENERGY ASSET 
EXPORT TRANSPORTATION. 
(a) LNG EXPORTS.— 
(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(A) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is haz-
ardous to national import and export terminals 
and ports when mishandled. 
(B) LNG is a strategic national asset, the 
export of which should be used to preserve the 
United States tanker fleet and skilled mariner 
workforce that are essential to national secu-
rity. 
(C) For the safety and security of the 
United States, LNG should be exported on ves-
sels documented under the laws of the United 
States. 
(2) REQUIREMENT.—Section 3 of the Natural 
Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(g) TRANSPORTATION OF EXPORTS OF NATURAL 
GAS ON VESSELS DOCUMENTED UNDER LAWS OF THE 
UNITED STATES.— 
‘‘(1) CONDITION
FOR
APPROVAL.—Except as 
provided in paragraph (5), the Commission shall in-
clude in an order issued under subsection (a) that 
authorizes a person to export natural gas a condition 
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13th calendar years after the calendar year in 
which this subsection is enacted. 
‘‘(E) A minimum of seven percent of the 
natural gas that is exported by vessel is trans-
ported on such vessels in each of the 14th and 
15th calendar years after the calendar year in 
which this subsection is enacted. 
‘‘(F) A minimum of nine percent of the 
natural gas that is exported by vessel is trans-
ported on such vessels in each of the 16th and 
17th calendar years after the calendar year in 
which this subsection is enacted. 
‘‘(G) A minimum of eleven percent of the 
natural gas that is exported by vessel is trans-
ported on such vessels in each of the 18th and 
19th calendar years after the calendar year in 
which this subsection is enacted. 
‘‘(H) A minimum of thirteen percent of the 
natural gas that is exported by vessel is trans-
ported on such vessels in each of the 20th and 
21st calendar years after the calendar year in 
which this subsection is enacted. 
‘‘(I) A minimum of fifteen percent of the 
natural gas that is exported by vessel is trans-
ported on such vessels in— 
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‘‘(i) the 22nd calendar year after the 
calendar year in which this subsection is 
enacted; and 
‘‘(ii) in each calendar year thereafter. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS FOR VESSELS.—A vessel 
meets the requirements described in this para-
graph— 
‘‘(A) with respect to each of the 5 calendar 
years after the calendar year in which this sub-
section is enacted— 
‘‘(i) if— 
‘‘(I) the vessel is documented 
under the laws of the United States; 
and 
‘‘(II) with respect to any retrofit 
work necessary for the vessel to ex-
port natural gas— 
‘‘(aa) such work is done in a 
shipyard in the United States; 
and 
‘‘(bb) any component of the 
vessel listed in paragraph (3) 
that 
is 
installed 
during 
the 
course of such work is manufac-
tured in the United States; or 
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‘‘(ii) if— 
‘‘(I) the vessel is built in the 
United States; 
‘‘(II) the vessel is documented 
under the laws of the United States; 
‘‘(III) all major components of 
the hull or superstructure of the ves-
sel are manufactured (including all 
manufacturing processes from the ini-
tial melting stage through the applica-
tion of coatings for iron or steel prod-
ucts) in the United States; and 
‘‘(IV) the components of the ves-
sel listed in paragraph (3) are manu-
factured in the United States; and 
‘‘(B) with respect to the 6th calendar year 
after the calendar year in which this subsection 
is enacted and each calendar year thereafter, if 
the vessel meets the requirements of subpara-
graph (A)(ii). 
‘‘(3) COMPONENTS.—The components of a ves-
sel listed in this paragraph are the following compo-
nents: 
‘‘(A) Air circuit breakers. 
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‘‘(B) Welded shipboard anchor and moor-
ing chain with a diameter of four inches or less. 
‘‘(C) Powered and non-powered valves in 
Federal Supply Classes 4810 and 4820 used in 
piping. 
‘‘(D) Machine tools in the Federal Supply 
Classes for metal-working machinery numbered 
3405, 3408, 3410 through 3419, 3426, 3433, 
3438, 3441 through 3443, 3445, 3446, 3448, 
3449, 3460, and 3461. 
‘‘(E) Auxiliary equipment for shipboard 
services, including pumps. 
‘‘(F) Propulsion equipment, including en-
gines, propulsion motors, reduction gears, and 
propellers. 
‘‘(G) Shipboard cranes. 
‘‘(H) Spreaders for shipboard cranes. 
‘‘(I) Rotating electrical equipment, includ-
ing electrical alternators and motors. 
‘‘(J) Compressors, pumps, and heat ex-
changers used in managing and re-liquifying 
boil-off gas from liquefied natural gas. 
‘‘(4) WAIVER
AUTHORITY.—The Commission 
may waive the requirement under paragraph 
(2)(A)(i)(II)(bb) or paragraph (2)(A)(ii)(IV), as ap-
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plicable, with respect to a component of a vessel if 
the Maritime Administrator determines that— 
‘‘(A) application of the requirement would 
cause a cost increase of more than 25 percent 
for such component or unreasonable delays to 
be incurred in building or retrofitting the ves-
sel; or 
‘‘(B) such component is not manufactured 
in the United States in sufficient and reason-
ably available quantities of a satisfactory qual-
ity. 
‘‘(5) EXCEPTION.—The Commission may not 
include in any order issued under subsection (a) au-
thorizing a person to export natural gas to a nation 
with which there is in effect a free trade agreement 
requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas 
a condition described in paragraph (1), or a condi-
tion described in paragraph (7), if the United States 
Trade Representative certifies to the Commission, in 
writing, that such condition would violate obligations 
of the United States under such free trade agree-
ment. 
‘‘(6) USE OF FEDERAL INFORMATION.—In car-
rying out paragraph (1), the Commission— 
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