jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-04-26 00:00:00

Secure All Facilities to Effectively Guard the United States Against and Respond to Dangerous Spills Act of 2013 or the SAFEGUARDS Act of 2013 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to: (1) prohibit the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) from issuing a permit or other authorization for exploration for or production of oil or gas under a lease under such Act unless an oil spill response plan for the operations of the facility on which the activity is conducted has been approved by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating as meeting requirements for such a plan under the National Response System of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act); (2) require the Secretary to approve an oil and gas exploration plan within 90 (currently 30) days of submission, with a 60-day extension authorized if the Secretary certifies that it's necessary to allow adequate consideration of the plan; and (3) prohibit an exploration plan from being eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).

Amends the Clean Water Act to require: (1) the President to issue regulations to require owners or operators of offshore facilities to have their plans for responding to a worst case discharge of oil or a hazardous substance approved by the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating; and (2) such worst case plans of owners and operators of tank vessels, nontank vessels, offshore facilities, or onshore facilities to include plans for responding to uncontrolled or uncontained discharges from wells.

Requires the National Contingency Plan for removal of oil and hazardous substances to: (1) include water quality monitoring by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of waters affected by discharges of oil or other hazardous substances that begins not later than 48 hours after such a discharge is reported; (2) include designation of the Commandant of the Coast Guard as the National Incident Commander for activities in response to a discharge that results in a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States if such a discharge affects waters with respect to which the Coast Guard is responsible for response efforts under the Plan; and (3) be updated by the President every five years, including separate response plans for discharges of oil or other hazardous materials into or upon land and water.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-05-09 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on November 18, 2013. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a prefiled project within 12 months after receiving a complete application that is ready to be processed.

Defines "prefiled project" as a project for the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a natural gas pipeline with respect to which a prefiling docket number has been assigned by FERC pursuant to a prefiling process established by FERC for the purpose of facilitating the formal application process for obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

Requires the agency responsible for issuing any federal license, permit, or approval regarding the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a project for which a certificate is sought to approve or deny issuance of the certificate within 90 days after FERC issues its final environmental document regarding the project.

Requires FERC to grant an agency request for a 30-day extension of the 90-day time period if the agency demonstrates that it cannot otherwise complete the process required to approve or deny the license, permit, or approval, and therefore will be compelled to deny it.

Authorizes FERC, in granting such an extension, to offer technical assistance to the agency in order to address conditions preventing completion of the application review.

Declares that, if the agency fails to approve or deny issuance of a permit, license, or approval within the prescribed time-frame, the license, permit, or approval shall take effect upon expiration of 30 days after the period's end.

Directs FERC to incorporate into the terms of a license, permit, or approval any conditions proffered by the agency that FERC does not find to be inconsistent with the final environmental document.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-05-14 00:00:00

Hospital Energy Conservation Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish a pilot program to award grants and loan guarantees to no more than six hospitals during FY2014-FY2015 to carry out energy conservation projects for: (1) significantly improving energy efficiency; and (2) encouraging on-site power generation and energy storage, capable of operating independent of the grid, and providing sufficient on-site emergency backup power for essential hospital functions.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-05-21 00:00:00

Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2013 - Makes it unlawful for any person, during a proclaimed international crisis affecting the oil market, to sell gasoline or any other petroleum distillate at a price that: (1) is unconscionably excessive, and (2) indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances of the crisis to increase prices unreasonably.

Authorizes the President to issue such a proclamation citing the geographic area, gasoline or other petroleum distillate, and time period (not to exceed 30 consecutive days) covered. Permits such a proclamation to be renewed as the President determines appropriate and to include a period of up to one week preceding a reasonably foreseeable emergency.

Sets forth factors to be considered in determining if a violation of this Act has occurred. Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce a violation of this Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice and to give priority to enforcement actions concerning companies with U.S. sales over $10 billion per year. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations, but limits the criminal penalty to criminal actions brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Authorizes a state to bring a civil action to enforce this Act.

Declares that nothing in this Act preempts any state law.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-05-21 00:00:00

Electric Transportation Advancement Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to make loans as well as (under current law) grants for qualified electric transportation projects, especially near-term projects.

Directs the Secretary to inventory existing electric transportation technologies and hybrid transportation technologies and markets and implement methods of promoting them.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) work with utilities to develop low-cost, simple methods of using off-peak electricity or managing on-peak electricity use; (2) develop systems to enable plug-in electric drive vehicles to enhance the availability of emergency back-up power for consumers and work with utilities to study and demonstrate the implications of the introduction of plug-in electric drive vehicles and other types of electric transportation technology on electrical production from renewable resources; and (3) study and demonstrate the potential value to the electric grid of using energy stored in on-board storage systems of plug-in electric drive vehicles.

Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a program to certify: (1) emissions of criteria pollutants, fuel economy, and petroleum usage of plug-in hybrid electric drive vehicles; and (2) emissions reductions, fuel economy improvements, and petroleum usage reductions from other forms of electric transportation technology.

Requires the EPA Administrator to establish a task force to recommend certification protocols.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to Congress on the benefits of and barriers to the widespread deployment of City Cars with performance capability that exceeds that of low-speed vehicles but is less than that of passenger vehicles, and that may be battery electric, fuel cell electric, or plug-in hybrid electric drive vehicles.

Directs the EPA Administrator to: (1) recommend to Congress how vehicle fuel definitions may be changed to be fuel and technology neutral; and (2) report to Congress on how petroleum, emissions, and pollutant reductions may be incorporated into the fuel and technology neutral mobile source emissions control program.

Limits the amount of certain electric vehicle energy storage research and development funding available to the National Laboratories.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-05-23 00:00:00

LNG Excise Tax Equalization Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to adjust the excise tax on liquefied natural gas to 24.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-06-04 00:00:00

Gas Price and Refinery Capacity Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require a refinery owner or operator to report to the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration (EIA): (1) at least one year in advance the schedule for any planned removal from service for maintenance, repair, or modification of any refinery or a unit (planned refinery outage); and (2) as soon as practicable any unplanned refinery outages.

Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) review, analyze, and make available to refinery operators information on unplanned refinery outages in order to prevent significant market disruptions; and (2) analyze the costs and benefits of creating a national strategic refined petroleum products reserve for refined petroleum products.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-06-05 00:00:00

More Energy More Jobs Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a new oil and gas leasing program under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) for a five-year period in lieu of the existing Five-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

Terminates the existing Five-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017.

Prescribes requirements for development of proposed new leasing programs. Requires the Secretary to: (1) allow the governor of a coastal state to nominate for leasing any OCS areas adjacent to state waters, (2) include each nominated area in the draft leasing program, and (3) consider the leasing of such areas as an alternative federal action.

Requires the Secretary to include each state-nominated area in the final program unless the impacts of oil and gas development in a particular area cannot be effectively mitigated and the development is not in the national economic interest.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Law
Date: 2013-06-05 00:00:00

American Fuel Protection Act of 2013 - Deems a claim for liability against a qualified entity as a claim against the United States for damages resulting from, or aggravated by, the use of transportation fuel containing ethanol in concentrations greater than 10% to operate an internal combustion engine. Abrogates U.S. sovereign immunity and makes the United States exclusively liable for such claims. Limits awards to actual damages sustained by a claimant.

Defines "qualified entity" to mean an entity engaged in the manufacture, use, sale, or distribution of: (1) transportation fuel or renewable fuel, or (2) products which use transportation fuel.

Grants U.S. district courts exclusive jurisdiction of any civil actions on such claims.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-06-20 00:00:00

Expedite Our Economy Act of 2013 - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to transfer from the Secretary of Energy to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the regulation of the exportation of natural gas under the Natural Gas Act.

Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on: (1) how the economic policies of foreign countries with natural gas resources and reserves relate to the development and production of their natural gas resources and reserves, as well as the extent and status of their natural gas resources and reserves; (2) the potential of such countries to export their natural gas production to the global market, including the impact of such exports upon the global market; and (3) U.S. actions to foster natural gas exports to foreign countries having an interest in importing natural gas from the United States.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-06-25 00:00:00

California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf located off the coast of California.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2013-06-25 00:00:00

Open Fuel Standard Act of 2013 - Requires each fleet of a manufacturer of passenger automobiles (including light-duty motor vehicles) to comprise at least: (1) 30% qualified vehicles in model year 2016, and (2) 50% qualified vehicles in model year 2017 and each subsequent year.

Defines "qualified vehicle" as: (1) a vehicle that operates on natural gas, hydrogen, or biodiesel; (2) a flexible fuel vehicle capable of operating on gasoline, E85, and M85; (3) a plug-in electric drive vehicle; or (4) a vehicle propelled solely by fuel cell or by something other than an internal combustion engine.

Authorizes a manufacturer to request an exemption from such requirement from the Secretary of Transportation (DOT).
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-06-26 00:00:00

Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act - Grants any state sole authority to promulgate or enforce any regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding the treatment of a well by the application of fluids under pressure to which propping agents may be added for the expressly designed purpose of initiating or propagating fractures in a target geologic formation in order to enhance production of oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under land within the boundaries of that state.

Subjects such a well treatment on federal land to state law as well.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2013-06-28 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Revises certain minimum pipeline safety standards requirements to delay from January 3, 2012, to January 3, 2015, the requirement that the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) issue a regulation that incorporates by reference any pipeline safety regulatory documents or portions only if such documents are made available to the public, free of charge, on an Internet website.

Eliminates the prohibition against issuing guidance unless such requirements are met.

Eliminates also the restriction that such documents be made available to the public only on the Internet.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-07-18 00:00:00

Mayflower Oil Spill Tax Relief Act of 2013 - Excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any compensation provided to or for the benefit of a victim of the pipeline rupture and oil spill in Mayflower, Arkansas, on March 29, 2013.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-07-22 00:00:00

Expedite Our Economy Act of 2013 - Amends the Natural Gas Act to repeal the authority of the Secretary of Energy over the exportation or importation of natural gas, including the related free trade agreements and applications and approval process.

Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on: (1) how the economic policies of foreign countries with natural gas resources and reserves relate to the development and production of their natural gas resources and reserves, as well as the extent and status of their natural gas resources and reserves; (2) the potential of such countries to export their natural gas production to the global market, including the impact of such exports upon the global market; and (3) U.S. actions to foster natural gas exports to foreign countries having an interest in importing natural gas from the United States.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-07-23 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE), through the Office of Fossil Energy, to carry out a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in power generation systems and to identify the technologies that will lead to gas turbine combined cycle efficiency of 65% or simple cycle efficiency of 50%.

Requires the program to: (1) support first-of-a-kind engineering and detailed gas turbine design for megawatt-scale and utility-scale electric power generation; (2) include technology demonstration through component testing, subscale testing, and full scale testing in existing fleets; (3) include field demonstrations of the developed technology elements to demonstrate technical and economic feasibility; and (4) assess overall combined cycle and simple cycle system performance.

Sets forth as program goals: (1) in phase I, to develop the conceptual design of, and to develop and demonstrate the technology required for, advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 62% combined cycle efficiency or 47% simple cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis; and (2) in phase II, to develop the conceptual design for advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 65% combined cycle efficiency or 50% simple cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis.

Directs the Secretary, in selecting program proposals, to emphasize the extent to which the proposal will: (1) stimulate the creation or increased retention of jobs in the United States; and (2) promote and enhance U.S. technology leadership.

Authorizes appropriations.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2013-07-25 00:00:00

Gas Accessibility and Stabilization Act of 2013 - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise procedures for waiver by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a control or prohibition regarding the use of a fuel or fuel additive by: (1) allowing waiver if the Administrator determines that extreme and unusual fuel or fuel additive supply circumstances are the result of a problem with distribution or delivery equipment necessary for the transportation or delivery of such fuel or additives, (2) allowing extension of a waiver for more than 20 days if it is determined that the waiver conditions will exist beyond 20 days, and (3) deeming a request for a waiver that is not approved or denied within 3 days to be approved for the period requested.

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to modify a fuel system requirements harmonization study to: (1) include consideration of biofuels, (2) add consideration of the projected effects of EPA Tier III requirements on air quality and motor fuel prices, and (3) extend to June 1, 2014, the date for submission to Congress of a report on the results of the study.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-07-31 00:00:00

Describes the following as acts that unreasonably burden and discriminate against interstate commerce, and prohibits states, political subdivisions, and any other taxing authority from: (1) assessing natural gas pipeline property at a value that has a higher ratio to its true market value than the ratio used to assess other commercial and industrial property in the same assessment jurisdiction, (2) levying or collecting a tax on such an assessment, (3) levying or collecting an ad valorem property tax on natural gas pipeline property at a rate that exceeds the rate applicable to commercial and industrial property in the same assessment jurisdiction, or (4) imposing any other tax that discriminates against a natural gas pipeline providing transportation subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

 Grants jurisdiction to U.S. District Courts for claims involving discriminatory taxation of natural gas pipeline property and provides for relief for such claims.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-08-01 00:00:00

End Welfare for Big Oil Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit or repeal certain tax benefits for major integrated oil companies (defined as companies with annual gross receipts over $1 billion and an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels or certain successors in interest of such companies), including: (1) the foreign tax credit for companies that are dual capacity taxpayers; (2) the tax deduction for income attributable to the production, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or primary products thereof; (3) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs; (4) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (5) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses.

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes west longitude).

Dedicates any increased revenue generated by this Act to the reduction of a federal budget deficit or the federal debt.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-08-02 00:00:00

Coastal States Extension Act of 2013 - Amends the Submerged Lands Act to extend state jurisdiction over submerged lands from 3 geographical miles to 12 nautical miles distant from the coast line of a state.

Authorizes a state admitted subsequent to the date of enactment of this Act to assert its seaward boundaries to a line 12 nautical miles distant from its coast line.

States that any oil lease and natural gas lease executed by the Secretary of the Interior that is in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and which covers an area within lands transferred to states under this Act, shall remain in full force and effect until it either expires pursuant to its terms or is cancelled pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

Authorizes a state in whose territory the leased area is situated to grant oil and natural leases in such area.

Prohibits a state from granting a lease in an area transferred to it under OCSLA until the Secretary of Commerce determines that the state has either an approved management program, or is making satisfactory progress in developing such a program, pursuant to certain administrative grant requirements of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Energy
Date: 2013-09-27 00:00:00

Amends the Natural Gas Act to exclude from its jurisdiction persons who would not otherwise be subject to the Act if the sole reason for inclusion would be the person's construction or operation of a facility not otherwise subject to the Act that liquefies, stores, processes, or delivers natural gas for vehicular natural gas or other end use purposes even though natural gas may be reinjected into an interstate pipeline, as long as such reinjections are incidental to the facility's provision of natural gas for end use purposes and are required by certain facility needs.