I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 173 
To amend the Natural Gas Act to bolster fairness and transparency in 
consideration of interstate natural gas pipelines, to provide for greater 
public input opportunities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2019 
Mr. GRIFFITH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Natural Gas Act to bolster fairness and trans-
parency in consideration of interstate natural gas pipe-
lines, to provide for greater public input opportunities, 
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 ‘‘Pipeline Fairness and 
Transparency Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EMINENT DOMAIN. 
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 
United States to protect the rights of citizens of the 
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United States to their private property, including by lim-
iting the taking of private property by the Federal Govern-
ment to situations in which the taking is for public use, 
with just compensation, and to benefit the general public, 
and not merely to advance the economic interests of pri-
vate parties that would be given ownership or use of the 
property taken. 
(b) JUST COMPENSATION.—Section 7(h) of the Nat-
ural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f(h)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(h) When any holder’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(h) EMINENT DOMAIN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—When any holder’’; 
(2) in the second sentence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The practice’’ and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(2) PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the practice’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘is situated:’’ and inserting 
‘‘is situated.’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘Provided, That the’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(3) JUST COMPENSATION.—In determining the 
just compensation for property acquired by the exer-
cise of the right of eminent domain under paragraph 
(1), in the case of land subject to a conservation 
easement, the court with jurisdiction over the pro-
ceeding shall consider the lost conservation value of 
that land.’’. 
SEC. 3. PROCESS COORDINATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 
REVIEW. 
Section 15 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717n) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
FOR INTERSTATE 
NATURAL GAS PIPELINES.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) FEDERAL AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘Federal 
authorization’ means any authorization re-
quired under Federal law with respect to 
an application for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity under section 7. 
‘‘(ii) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘Federal 
authorization’ includes any permits, special 
use authorizations, certifications, opinions, 
or other approvals as may be required 
under Federal law with respect to an appli-
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