What This Bill Does
This bill speeds up the approval process for natural gas exports to certain countries for 3 years. It says applications to export natural gas to NATO member countries or other nations approved by the Secretary of State will be approved quickly without changes or delays.
Who It Affects
Companies seeking to export natural gas. NATO member countries receiving the natural gas. The Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy (who make decisions about non-NATO countries).
Key Provisions
* Natural gas export applications to NATO member countries are automatically considered in the public interest (a legal standard that normally requires separate review), meaning they will be approved without modification or delay (Sec. 2(a) and 2(b)(1))
* The Secretary of State, working with the Secretaries of Defense and Energy, can approve natural gas exports to non-NATO countries if those officials determine the exports promote U.S. national security interests (Sec. 2(b)(2))
* This fast-track approval applies to applications that are already pending or that are filed within 3 years from when this law takes effect (Sec. 2(c))
What Changes
Companies no longer have to go through the normal approval process for natural gas exports to NATO countries during the 3-year period. Their applications will be approved automatically without delays or modifications.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1497
To provide that, for a 3-year period, applications for the exportation of
natural gas to member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion be granted without modification or delay, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2023
Mrs. FLETCHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To provide that, for a 3-year period, applications for the
exportation of natural gas to member countries of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization be granted without
modification or delay, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Gas for Al-
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lies Act’’.
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SEC. 2. TEMPORARY TREATMENT OF CERTAIN APPLICA-
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TIONS FOR THE EXPORTATION OF NATURAL
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GAS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—During the period described in
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subsection (c) of this section, for purposes of section 3(a)
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of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(a)), the expor-
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tation of natural gas to a foreign country described in sub-
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section (b) of this section shall be deemed to be consistent
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with the public interest, and applications for such expor-
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tation shall be granted without modification or delay.
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(b) FOREIGN COUNTRIES.—A foreign country de-
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scribed in this subsection is—
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(1) a member country of the North Atlantic
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Treaty Organization; or
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(2) any other foreign country, if the Secretary
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of State, in consultation with the Secretary of De-
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fense and the Secretary of Energy, determines that
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exportation of natural gas to that foreign country
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would promote the national security interests of the
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United States.
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(c) APPLICABILITY.—This section shall apply with re-
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spect to applications for the authorization to export nat-
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ural gas under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15
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U.S.C. 717b) to a foreign country described in subsection
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(b) of this section that are pending on the date of enact-
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ment of this Act, or filed during the period that begins
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•HR 1497 IH
on such date of enactment and ends on the date that is
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3 years after such date of enactment.
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Æ
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