Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act

Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act

This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the exclusive authority to approve or deny an application for the siting, construction, 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 country, including a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal.

The bill states that nothing in the Natural Gas Act limits the authority of the President under any provision of law that imposes sanctions on a foreign person or government, including a foreign government that is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, to prohibit imports or exports.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4605 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4605

    To repeal restrictions on the export and import of natural gas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2017

 Mr. Johnson of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Latta, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Flores, 
Mr. Cuellar, and Mr. Ryan 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential 
Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPORT AND EXPORT OF NATURAL GAS.

    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;
            (3) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c), and 
        moving such subsection after subsection (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 approve or deny an application 
        for the siting, construction, 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 country, 
        including an LNG terminal. Except as specifically provided in 
        this Act, nothing in this Act is intended 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 subsection:
    ``(d) 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 Conservation Act 
(42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. 
App. 1 et seq.), or any other provision 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 
foreign government that is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, 
to prohibit imports or exports.''.
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