IB 
Union Calendar No. 208 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 538 
[Report No. 114–276] 
To facilitate the development of energy on Indian lands by reducing Federal 
regulations that impede tribal development of Indian lands, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 26, 2015 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
OCTOBER 1, 2015 
Additional sponsor: Mr. GOSAR 
OCTOBER 1, 2015 
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
and ordered to be printed 
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A BILL 
To facilitate the development of energy on Indian lands by 
reducing Federal regulations that impede tribal develop-
ment of Indian lands, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Native American En-
ergy Act’’. 
SEC. 2. APPRAISALS. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Title XXVI of the Energy Policy 
Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 2607. APPRAISAL REFORMS. 
‘‘(a) OPTIONS TO INDIAN TRIBES.—With respect to 
a transaction involving Indian land or the trust assets of 
an Indian tribe that requires the approval of the Sec-
retary, any appraisal relating to fair market value required 
to be conducted under applicable law, regulation, or policy 
may be completed by— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary; 
‘‘(2) the affected Indian tribe; or 
‘‘(3) a certified, third-party appraiser pursuant 
to a contract with the Indian tribe. 
‘‘(b) TIME LIMIT ON SECRETARIAL REVIEW AND AC-
TION.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which 
the Secretary receives an appraisal conducted by or for 
an Indian tribe pursuant to paragraphs (2) or (3) of sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall— 
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‘‘(1) review the appraisal; and 
‘‘(2) provide to the Indian tribe a written notice 
of approval or disapproval of the appraisal. 
‘‘(c) FAILURE OF SECRETARY TO APPROVE OR DIS-
APPROVE.—If, after 60 days, the Secretary has failed to 
approve or disapprove any appraisal received, the ap-
praisal shall be deemed approved. 
‘‘(d) OPTION
TO INDIAN TRIBES TO WAIVE AP-
PRAISAL.— 
‘‘(1) An Indian tribe wishing to waive the re-
quirements of subsection (a), may do so after it has 
satisfied the requirements of paragraphs (2) and 
(3). 
‘‘(2) An Indian tribe wishing to forego the ne-
cessity of a waiver pursuant to this section must 
provide to the Secretary a written resolution, state-
ment, or other unambiguous indication of tribal in-
tent, duly approved by the governing body of the In-
dian tribe. 
‘‘(3) The unambiguous indication of intent pro-
vided by the Indian tribe to the Secretary under 
paragraph (2) must include an express waiver by the 
Indian tribe of any claims for damages it might have 
against the United States as a result of the lack of 
an appraisal undertaken. 
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‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this subsection, 
the term ‘appraisal’ includes appraisals and other esti-
mates of value. 
‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall develop 
regulations for implementing this section, including stand-
ards the Secretary shall use for approving or disapproving 
an appraisal.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13201 
note) is amended by adding at the end of the items relat-
ing to title XXVI the following: 
‘‘Sec. 2607. Appraisal reforms.’’. 
SEC. 3. STANDARDIZATION. 
As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall implement 
procedures to ensure that each agency within the Depart-
ment of the Interior that is involved in the review, ap-
proval, and oversight of oil and gas activities on Indian 
lands shall use a uniform system of reference numbers and 
tracking systems for oil and gas wells. 
SEC. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS OF MAJOR FEDERAL 
ACTIONS ON INDIAN LANDS. 
Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) is amended by inserting 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before the first sentence, and by 
adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(b) REVIEW OF MAJOR FEDERAL ACTIONS ON IN-
DIAN LANDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For any major Federal ac-
tion on Indian lands of an Indian tribe requiring the 
preparation 
of 
a 
statement 
under 
subsection 
(a)(2)(C), the statement shall only be available for 
review and comment by the members of the Indian 
tribe and by any other individual residing within the 
affected area. 
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—The Chairman of the 
Council on Environmental Quality shall develop reg-
ulations to implement this section, including descrip-
tions of affected areas for specific major Federal ac-
tions, in consultation with Indian tribes. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, each of 
the terms ‘Indian land’ and ‘Indian tribe’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 2601 of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3501). 
‘‘(4) CLARIFICATION OF AUTHORITY.—Nothing 
in the Native American Energy Act, except section 
6 of that Act, shall give the Secretary any additional 
authority over energy projects on Alaska Native 
Claims Settlement Act lands.’’. 
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SEC. 5. JUDICIAL REVIEW. 
(a) TIME FOR FILING COMPLAINT.—Any energy re-
lated action must be filed not later than the end of the 
60-day period beginning on the date of the final agency 
action. Any energy related action not filed within this time 
period shall be barred. 
(b) DISTRICT COURT VENUE AND DEADLINE.—All 
energy related actions— 
(1) shall be brought in the United States Dis-
trict Court for the District of Columbia; and 
(2) shall be resolved as expeditiously as pos-
sible, and in any event not more than 180 days after 
such cause of action is filed. 
(c) APPELLATE REVIEW.—An interlocutory order or 
final judgment, decree or order of the district court in an 
energy related action may be reviewed by the U.S. Court 
of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The D.C. 
Circuit Court of Appeals shall resolve such appeal as expe-
ditiously as possible, and in any event not more than 180 
days after such interlocutory order or final judgment, de-
cree or order of the district court was issued. 
(d) LIMITATION ON CERTAIN PAYMENTS.—Notwith-
standing section 1304 of title 31, United States Code, no 
award may be made under section 504 of title 5, United 
States Code, or under section 2412 of title 28, United 
States Code, and no amounts may be obligated or ex-
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pended from the Claims and Judgment Fund of the 
United States Treasury to pay any fees or other expenses 
under such sections, to any person or party in an energy 
related action. 
(e) LEGAL FEES.—In any energy related action in 
which the plaintiff does not ultimately prevail, the court 
shall award to the defendant (including any intervenor- 
defendants), other than the United States, fees and other 
expenses incurred by that party in connection with the en-
ergy related action, unless the court finds that the position 
of the plaintiff was substantially justified or that special 
circumstances make an award unjust. Whether or not the 
position of the plaintiff was substantially justified shall be 
determined on the basis of the administrative record, as 
a whole, which is made in the energy related action for 
which fees and other expenses are sought. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, 
the following definitions apply: 
(1) AGENCY ACTION.—The term ‘‘agency ac-
tion’’ has the same meaning given such term in sec-
tion 551 of title 5, United States Code. 
(2) INDIAN LAND.—The term ‘‘Indian Land’’ 
has the same meaning given such term in section 
203(c)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public 
Law 109–58; 25 U.S.C. 3501), including lands 
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