I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3367 
To terminate the prohibitions on the exportation and importation of natural 
gas, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2017 
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To terminate the prohibitions on the exportation and 
importation of natural gas, 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 ‘‘License Natural Gas 
Now Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘LNG Now Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
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(1) the exportation of natural gas produced in 
the United States is in the interest of the United 
States; and 
(2) because natural gas produced in the United 
States has a lower greenhouse gas emissions profile 
than other energy sources used in high volumes in 
other countries, the exportation of natural gas from 
the United States may help lower global emissions of 
carbon dioxide. 
SEC. 3. EXPORTATION OR IMPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act 
(15 U.S.C. 717b) is amended— 
(1) by striking the section heading and all that 
follows through ‘‘(a) After’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 3. EXPORTATION OR IMPORTATION OF NATURAL 
GAS; LNG TERMINALS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION TO EXPORT OR IMPORT NAT-
URAL GAS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—After’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)— 
(i) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘, unless,’’ and all that follows through the 
period at the end of the sentence and in-
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serting ‘‘without modification or delay.’’; 
and 
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking 
‘‘by its order’’ and all that follows through 
the period at the end of the sentence and 
inserting ‘‘condition the order on a require-
ment that the applicant, on request, pro-
vide relevant data to the Commission to fa-
cilitate the information collection and sta-
tistical activities of the Commission.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) AUTHORITY TO LIMIT EXPORTATION OF 
NATURAL GAS.— 
‘‘(A) MAJOR DISASTER OR EMERGENCY IN 
UNITED STATES.—If the President declares a 
major disaster or emergency under the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), the 
President may limit the volume of natural gas 
exported from the United States during the 90- 
day period beginning on the date on which the 
President declares the major disaster or emer-
gency. 
‘‘(B) 
NATIONAL
EMERGENCY
UNDER 
INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POW-
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ERS ACT.—If the President declares a national 
emergency under section 202 of the Inter-
national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701) with respect to a country, the 
President may limit the volume of natural gas 
exported from the United States to that coun-
try. 
‘‘(3) PROHIBITIONS.— 
‘‘(A) PROHIBITION ON RESTRICTING NAT-
URAL GAS IMPORTATION OR EXPORTATION.— 
Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
or in any Federal authorization to export nat-
ural gas from the United States to a foreign 
country or to import natural gas into the 
United States from a foreign country in effect 
on the date of enactment of the LNG Now Act 
of 2017, to promote the efficient exploration, 
production, storage, supply, marketing, pricing, 
and regulation of energy resources, including 
fossil fuels, no employee of the Federal Govern-
ment shall impose or enforce any restriction or 
condition on— 
‘‘(i) the exportation of natural gas 
from the United States to a foreign coun-
try; or 
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‘‘(ii) the importation of natural gas 
into the United States from a foreign 
country. 
‘‘(B) SECRETARY
OF
ENERGY
PROHIBI-
TION.—The Secretary of Energy shall not treat, 
on the basis of national origin, any imported 
natural gas on an unjust, unreasonable, unduly 
discriminatory, or preferential basis. 
‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION OF IMPORTED NATURAL 
GAS AS A FIRST SALE.—The importation of natural 
gas into the United States from a foreign country 
shall be considered to be a first sale (as defined in 
section 2 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (15 
U.S.C. 3301)).’’; 
(3) by striking subsections (b) and (c); and 
(4) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) 
as subsections (b) through (d), respectively. 
(b) EFFECT.—The amendments made by subsection 
(a) shall not affect any Federal authorization to export 
natural gas from the United States to a foreign country 
or to import natural gas into the United States from a 
foreign country in effect on the date of enactment of the 
LNG Now Act of 2017. 
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SEC. 4. REPORT ON FOSTERING NATURAL GAS EXPORTS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit 
to Congress a report describing actions taken by the 
United States Government, and actions that could be 
taken by the United States Government, to foster the ex-
portation of natural gas from the United States to foreign 
countries. 
SEC. 5. REPORT ON EXISTING REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit 
to Congress a report that identifies regulations in effect 
as of such date of enactment that inhibit the growth of 
the market for natural gas exported from the United 
States. 
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act or an amend-
ment made by this Act shall be construed to limit the au-
thority of the President under— 
(1) the Constitution of the United States; 
(2) the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or regulations 
issued under that Act; 
(3) the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 
1601 et seq.); 
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(4) the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 
U.S.C. 4301 et seq.); or 
(5) any other provision of law that imposes 
sanctions with respect to a foreign person or foreign 
government (including any provision of law that pro-
hibits or restricts a United States person from en-
gaging in a transaction with a sanctioned person or 
government), including a foreign government that is 
designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. 
(b) STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘state sponsor of terrorism’’ means 
a country the government of which the Secretary of State 
has determined to be a government that has repeatedly 
provided support for acts of international terrorism for 
purposes of— 
(1) section 6(j)(1)(A) of the Export Administra-
tion Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 4605(j)(1)(A)) (as con-
tinued in effect pursuant to the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.)); 
(2) section 620A(a) of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371(a)); 
(3) section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control 
Act (22 U.S.C. 2780(d)); or 
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(4) any other provision of law. 
Æ 
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