I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 647 
To repeal restrictions on the export and import of natural gas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 31, 2023 
Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To repeal restrictions on the export and import of natural 
gas. 
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 ‘‘Unlocking our Domes-
tic LNG Potential Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. ADVANCING UNITED STATES GLOBAL LEADERSHIP. 
Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) 
is amended— 
(1) by striking subsections (a) through (c); 
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as 
subsections (a) and (b), respectively; 
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(3) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (c), and moving such subsection after sub-
section (b), as so redesignated; 
(4) in subsection (a), as so redesignated, by 
amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: ‘‘(1) The 
Commission shall have the exclusive authority to ap-
prove or deny an application for the siting, construc-
tion, expansion, or operation of a facility to export 
natural gas from the United States to a foreign 
country or import natural gas from a foreign coun-
try, including an LNG terminal. Except as specifi-
cally provided in this Act, nothing in this Act is in-
tended to affect otherwise applicable law related to 
any Federal agency’s authorities or responsibilities 
related to facilities to import or export natural gas, 
including LNG terminals.’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d)(1) Nothing in this Act limits the authority of 
the President under the Constitution, the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 
seq.), part B of title II of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading With the 
Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.), or any other provi-
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sion of law that imposes sanctions on a foreign person or 
foreign government (including any provision of law that 
prohibits or restricts United States persons from engaging 
in a transaction with a sanctioned person or government), 
including a country that is designated as a state sponsor 
of terrorism, to prohibit imports or exports. 
‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘state sponsor of ter-
rorism’ means a country the government of which the Sec-
retary of State determines has repeatedly provided sup-
port for international terrorism pursuant to— 
‘‘(A) section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Con-
trol Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A)); 
‘‘(B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371); 
‘‘(C) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2780); or 
‘‘(D) any other provision of law.’’. 
Æ 
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