I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5191
To provide for the convening of a White House Conference on United States
Energy Policy to develop a national energy policy.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 14, 2000
Mr. WEYGAND introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To provide for the convening of a White House Conference
on United States Energy Policy to develop a national
energy policy.
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 ‘‘White House Con-
ference on United States Energy Policy Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. CONFERENCE.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The President shall convene a
White House Conference on United States Energy Policy
in order to develop a national energy policy for the United
States. Such Conference shall take place within 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) PLANNING
AND DIRECTION.—The Conference
shall be planned and conducted under the direction of the
Secretary and the Administrator, in cooperation with the
heads of such other Federal agencies as are appropriate.
(c) PURPOSE.—The primary purpose of the Con-
ference shall be to develop and recommend a national en-
ergy policy for the United States. As part of that effort,
the Conference shall—
(1) examine the need for, and make rec-
ommendations for strategies for promoting, energy
conservation;
(2) make recommendations for how best to pro-
mote the development of sources of energy other
than fossil fuels, including defining the appropriate
Federal role in such development;
(3) assess the appropriate role of fossil fuels in
United States energy policy, including an assessment
of the efficiency and environmental effects of the use
of fossil fuels;
(4) examine the effects on energy supply and
pricing of regulation, anticompetitive factors, inven-
tory taxes, and ongoing mergers of energy compa-
nies; and
(5) identify crucial issues in the development of
a national energy policy.
(d) PARTICIPANTS.—The President shall invite to the
Conference appropriate representatives of—
(1) Federal, State, and local government policy-
makers;
(2) industry, including producers, manufactur-
ers, and wholesale and retail providers of energy and
energy products, and including alternative energy
producers, manufacturers, and providers;
(3) consumers;
(4) scientists;
(5) environmentalists;
(6) regulators; and
(7) any other group the President considers ap-
propriate.
The President shall invite participants without regard to
political affiliation or past partisan activity, and shall en-
sure that participation in the Conference is representative
of a broad spectrum of expertise and opinions.
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION.
In administering the Conference, the Secretary and
the Administrator shall—
(1) request the cooperation and assistance of
the heads of such other Federal agencies as may be
appropriate;
(2) prepare and make available in the Federal
Register for public comment a proposed agenda for
the Conference not later than 30 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act;
(3) provide promptly any relevant information
requested by the participants of the Conference; and
(4) ensure that the recommendations of the
Conference are not inappropriately influenced by any
authority or special interest.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Not later than 90 days after the close of the Con-
ference, the Secretary and the Administrator shall trans-
mit to the Congress a report containing the findings and
recommendations of the Conference, including rec-
ommendations for administrative actions and legislation
necessary to implement the recommendations of the Con-
ference.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(2) the term ‘‘Conference’’ means the White
House Conference on United States Energy Policy;
and
(3) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of Energy.
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