(b) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall when possible, and practicable, encourage the use of 
United States workers and equipment manufactured in 
the United States in all construction related to mineral 
resource development under this Act. 
TITLE I—ONSHORE OIL AND GAS 
PERMIT STREAMLINING 
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Streamlining Permit-
ting of American Energy Act of 2013’’. 
Subtitle A—Application for Permits 
to Drill Process Reform 
SEC. 111. PERMIT TO DRILL APPLICATION TIMELINE. 
Section 17(p)(2) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 
U.S.C. 226(p)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO DRILL RE-
FORM AND PROCESS.— 
‘‘(A) TIMELINE.—The Secretary shall de-
cide whether to issue a permit to drill within 30 
days after receiving an application for the per-
mit. The Secretary may extend such period for 
up to 2 periods of 15 days each, if the Sec-
retary has given written notice of the delay to 
the applicant. The notice shall be in the form 
of a letter from the Secretary or a designee of 
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the Secretary, and shall include the names and 
titles of the persons processing the application, 
the specific reasons for the delay, and a specific 
date a final decision on the application is ex-
pected. 
‘‘(B) NOTICE OF REASONS FOR DENIAL.— 
If the application is denied, the Secretary shall 
provide the applicant— 
‘‘(i) in writing, clear and comprehen-
sive reasons why the application was not 
accepted and detailed information con-
cerning any deficiencies; and 
‘‘(ii) an opportunity to remedy any de-
ficiencies. 
‘‘(C) APPLICATION DEEMED APPROVED.— 
If the Secretary has not made a decision on the 
application by the end of the 60-day period be-
ginning on the date the application is received 
by the Secretary, the application is deemed ap-
proved, except in cases in which existing reviews 
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 or Endangered Species Act of 1973 are 
incomplete. 
‘‘(D) DENIAL
OF
PERMIT.—If the Sec-
retary decides not to issue a permit to drill in 
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accordance with subparagraph (A), the Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(i) provide to the applicant a descrip-
tion of the reasons for the denial of the 
permit; 
‘‘(ii) allow the applicant to resubmit 
an application for a permit to drill during 
the 10-day period beginning on the date 
the applicant receives the description of 
the denial from the Secretary; and 
‘‘(iii) issue or deny any resubmitted 
application not later than 10 days after the 
date the application is submitted to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(E) FEE.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
any other law, the Secretary shall collect a 
single $6,500 permit processing fee per ap-
plication from each applicant at the time 
the final decision is made whether to issue 
a permit under subparagraph (A). This fee 
shall not apply to any resubmitted applica-
tion. 
‘‘(ii) TREATMENT OF PERMIT PROC-
ESSING FEE.—Of all fees collected under 
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this paragraph, 50 percent shall be trans-
ferred to the field office where they are col-
lected and used to process protests, leases, 
and permits under this Act subject to ap-
propriation.’’. 
SEC. 112. SOLAR AND WIND RIGHT-OF-WAY RENTAL RE-
FORM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), and 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, of fees col-
lected each fiscal year as annual wind energy and solar 
energy right-of-way authorization fees required under sec-
tion 504(g) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1764(g))— 
(1) no less than 25 percent shall be available, 
subject to appropriation, for Department of the Inte-
rior field offices responsible for the land where the 
fee was collected; 
(2) no less than 25 percent shall be available, 
subject to appropriation, for Bureau of Land Man-
agement permit approval activities; and 
(3) no less than 25 percent shall be available, 
subject to appropriation, to the Secretary of the In-
terior for department-wide permitting activities. 
(b) LIMITATION.—The amount used under subsection 
(a) each fiscal year shall not exceed $10,000,000. 
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Subtitle B—Administrative Protest 
Documentation Reform 
SEC. 121. ADMINISTRATIVE PROTEST DOCUMENTATION RE-
FORM. 
Section 17(p) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(p)) is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) PROTEST FEE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
collect a $5,000 documentation fee to accom-
pany each protest for a lease, right of way, or 
application for permit to drill. 
‘‘(B) TREATMENT OF FEES.—Of all fees 
collected under this paragraph, 50 percent shall 
remain in the field office where they are col-
lected and used to process protests subject to 
appropriation.’’. 
Subtitle C—Permit Streamlining 
SEC. 131. IMPROVE FEDERAL ENERGY PERMIT COORDINA-
TION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
(referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall estab-
lish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project (referred to 
in this section as the ‘‘Project’’) in every Bureau of Land 
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Management field office with responsibility for permitting 
energy projects on Federal land. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for 
purposes of this section with— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture; 
(B) the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency; and 
(C) the Chief of the Army Corps of Engi-
neers. 
(2) STATE
PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary 
may request that the Governor of any State with en-
ergy projects on Federal lands to be a signatory to 
the memorandum of understanding. 
(c) DESIGNATION OF QUALIFIED STAFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the signing of the memorandum of un-
derstanding under subsection (b), all Federal signa-
tory parties shall, if appropriate, assign to each of 
the Bureau of Land Management field offices an 
employee who has expertise in the regulatory issues 
relating to the office in which the employee is em-
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ployed, including, as applicable, particular expertise 
in— 
(A) the consultations and the preparation 
of biological opinions under section 7 of the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1536); 
(B) permits under section 404 of Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344); 
(C) regulatory matters under the Clean Air 
Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); 
(D) planning under the National Forest 
Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a et 
seq.); and 
(E) the preparation of analyses under the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
(2) DUTIES.—Each employee assigned under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) not later than 90 days after the date 
of assignment, report to the Bureau of Land 
Management Field Managers in the office to 
which the employee is assigned; 
(B) be responsible for all issues relating to 
the energy projects that arise under the au-
thorities of the employee’s home agency; and 
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(C) participate as part of the team of per-
sonnel working on proposed energy projects, 
planning, and environmental analyses on Fed-
eral lands. 
(d) ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.—The Secretary shall 
assign to each Bureau of Land Management field office 
identified in subsection (a) any additional personnel that 
are necessary to ensure the effective approval and imple-
mentation of energy projects administered by the Bureau 
of Land Management field offices, including inspection 
and enforcement relating to energy development on Fed-
eral land, in accordance with the multiple use mandate 
of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). 
(e) FUNDING.—Funding for the additional personnel 
shall come from the Department of the Interior reforms 
identified in sections 101, 102, and 201. 
(f) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this section af-
fects— 
(1) the operation of any Federal or State law; 
or 
(2) any delegation of authority made by the 
head of a Federal agency whose employees are par-
ticipating in the Project. 
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(g) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section the 
term ‘‘energy projects’’ includes oil, natural gas, coal, and 
other energy projects as defined by the Secretary. 
SEC. 132. ADMINISTRATION OF CURRENT LAW. 
Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall not require a finding of extraordinary cir-
cumstances in administering section 390 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005. 
Subtitle D—Judicial Review 
SEC. 141. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle— 
(1) the term ‘‘covered civil action’’ means a civil 
action containing a claim under section 702 of title 
5, United States Code, regarding agency action (as 
defined for the purposes of that section) affecting a 
covered energy project on Federal lands of the 
United States; and 
(2) the term ‘‘covered energy project’’ means 
the leasing of Federal lands of the United States for 
the exploration, development, production, processing, 
or transmission of oil, natural gas, wind, or any 
other source of energy, and any action under such 
a lease, except that the term does not include any 
disputes between the parties to a lease regarding the 
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obligations under such lease, including regarding 
any alleged breach of the lease. 
SEC. 142. EXCLUSIVE VENUE FOR CERTAIN CIVIL ACTIONS 
RELATING TO COVERED ENERGY PROJECTS. 
Venue for any covered civil action shall lie in the dis-
trict court where the project or leases exist or are pro-
posed. 
SEC. 143. TIMELY FILING. 
To ensure timely redress by the courts, a covered civil 
action must be filed no later than the end of the 90-day 
period beginning on the date of the final Federal agency 
action to which it relates. 
SEC. 144. EXPEDITION IN HEARING AND DETERMINING THE 
ACTION. 
The court shall endeavor to hear and determine any 
covered civil action as expeditiously as possible. 
SEC. 145. STANDARD OF REVIEW. 
In any judicial review of a covered civil action, admin-
istrative findings and conclusions relating to the chal-
lenged Federal action or decision shall be presumed to be 
correct, and the presumption may be rebutted only by the 
preponderance of the evidence contained in the adminis-
trative record. 
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SEC. 146. LIMITATION ON INJUNCTION AND PROSPECTIVE 
RELIEF. 
In a covered civil action, the court shall not grant 
or approve any prospective relief unless the court finds 
that such relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than 
necessary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, 
and is the least intrusive means necessary to correct that 
violation. In addition, courts shall limit the duration of 
preliminary injunctions to halt covered energy projects to 
no more than 60 days, unless the court finds clear reasons 
to extend the injunction. In such cases of extensions, such 
extensions shall only be in 30-day increments and shall 
require action by the court to renew the injunction. 
SEC. 147. LIMITATION ON ATTORNEYS’ FEES. 
Sections 504 of title 5, United States Code, and 2412 
of title 28, United States Code, (together commonly called 
the Equal Access to Justice Act) do not apply to a covered 
civil action, nor shall any party in such a covered civil ac-
tion receive payment from the Federal Government for 
their attorneys’ fees, expenses, and other court costs. 
SEC. 148. LEGAL STANDING. 
Challengers filing appeals with the Department of the 
Interior Board of Land Appeals shall meet the same 
standing requirements as challengers before a United 
States district court. 
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