Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Advancement Commission

(a)

Establishment

There is established in the Department of Agriculture a commission to be known as the Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Advancement Commission or the BECCS Advancement Commission. (b)

Membership

The Commission shall be composed of the following members: (1)The Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development. (2)The Chief of the Forest Service, or a designee of the Chief under the supervision of the Chief. (3)The Director of the Bureau of Land Management, or a designee of the Director under the supervision of the Director. (4)The Director of the Bioenergy Technologies Office of the Department of Energy, or a designee of the Director under the supervision of the Director. (5)A representative of the National Association of State Foresters. (6)A representative from the commercial timber industry. (7)A representative of the National Association of State Energy Officials. (8)4 representatives from the BECCS industry. (9)At least 1, and not more than 2, representatives of counties receiving Federal funds under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. (c)

Appointment

Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall appoint— (1)each member described in paragraphs (5) through (7) of subsection (b), in consultation with the organization concerned; (2)each member described in subsection (b)(8), in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy; and (3)each member described in subsection (b)(9), from— (A)nominations submitted to the Secretary by the counties described in the subsection or the States in which the counties are located; and (B)a different State than the other such member, if the Secretary appoints more than 1 such member. (d)

Chair

Subject to subsection (e), the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development shall serve as— (1)the chair of the Commission; and (2)the designated officer or employee of the Federal Government for purposes of section 1009(e) of title 5, United States Code. (e)

Removal; vacancies

(1)

Removal

The Secretary may remove a member described in paragraphs (5) through (9) of subsection (b) only for cause. (2)

Appointment of chair if Under Secretary is unavailable

If the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development is vacant, the Secretary may appoint a member described in paragraphs (2) through (4) of subsection (b) to serve in the roles described in subsection (d) during the vacancy. (3)

Vacancies

A vacancy in the Commission— (A)shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and (B)shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. (f)

Meetings

(1)

Initial meeting

Within 30 days after all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall hold the first meeting of the Commission. (2)

Frequency

The Commission shall meet not less frequently than once every 90 days. (3)

Type

The Commission may hold meetings, and a member of the Commission may participate in a meeting through teleconference, video conference, or similar means. (4)

Quorum

A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings. (g)

Duties

(1)

In general

The Commission shall make policy recommendations and metrics for the improvement of Federal policy with respect to— (A)the development and implementation of systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage throughout the United States; and (B)the benefits of a growing BECCS industry on surrounding communities, forest health, and wildfire management in the United States. (2)

Report to Congress

Within 1 year after the date of the first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the following: (A)Policy recommendations, taking into account short-term and long-term goals, for the modernization and expansion of the use of systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the United States, including with respect to— (i)the effect of deployment of the systems or power plants on job growth in local communities; (ii)energy costs; (iii)energy reliability; (iv)strengthening the domestic energy supply chain; and (v)meeting the energy demands of artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers. (B)Metrics to quantitatively assess the benefits of systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage with respect to— (i)domestic forest health; (ii)wildfire mitigation; (iii)clean energy production; and (iv)economic development of the forestry sector. (C)Identification of Federal policies to facilitate the development of systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the United States. (D)Recommendations with respect to legislative and regulatory changes to facilitate the use of biomass from federally managed lands, consistent with wildfire and wildlife management objectives for such lands, for systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, including— (i)streamlined biomass offtake contracts; and (ii)interagency coordination between Federal land managers and the BECCS industry. (E)Any other recommendation or metric consistent with paragraph (1). (3)

Interim reports to Congress

The Commission may submit to the appropriate congressional committees, at the sole discretion of the Commission, 1 or more interim reports relating to any matter described in paragraph (2). (h)

Powers

(1)

Hearings

The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to carry out this Act. (2)

Information from Federal agencies

(A)

In general

The Commission may secure directly from a Federal department or agency such information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out this Act. (B)

Furnishing information

On request of the chair of the Commission, the head of the department or agency shall furnish the information to the Commission. (3)

Postal services

The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government. (4)

Gifts

The Commission may accept, use, or dispose of such gifts or donations of services or property as the Commission considers necessary to carry out this Act. (i)

Compensation; travel expenses

A member of the Commission shall— (1)serve without compensation; and (2)be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission. (j)

Personnel

(1)

In general

To assist the Commission in carrying out this Act, the chair of the Commission may, without regard to the civil service laws (including regulations), appoint and terminate— (A)an executive director, subject to the approval of the Commission; and (B)such other additional personnel as may be determined necessary by the chair of the Commission. (2)

Compensation

The chair of the Commission may fix the compensation of the personnel appointed under this subsection without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. (3)

Detail of government employees

On the request of the chair of the Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out this Act, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. (4)

Procurement of temporary and intermittent services

The chair of the Commission may procure temporary or intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. (k)

Termination

The Commission shall terminate on the date that is 180 days after the Commission submits the report pursuant to subsection (g)(2). (l)

Regulations

The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy, may prescribe regulations to carry out this Act. (m)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Appropriate congressional committees

The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A)the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; (B)the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; (C)the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; (D)the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and (E)the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. (2)

BECCS industry

The term BECCS industry shall have the meaning given the term under a rule or regulation prescribed under subsection (l). (3)

Commission

The term Commission means the Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Advancement Commission established under subsection (a). (4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.