[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6720 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6720

    To establish the Commission on Comprehensive Strategies for the 
    Placement of Natural Gas Infrastructure, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2008

Mr. Bishop of New York (for himself, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Hare, Mr. Hill, 
Mr. Israel, Mr. Murphy of Connecticut, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Ruppersberger, 
 Mr. Baird, Mr. Inslee, and Mr. Frank of Massachusetts) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the Commission on Comprehensive Strategies for the 
    Placement of Natural Gas Infrastructure, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Natural Gas Strategy Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND GOALS.

    It is the purpose of this Act to facilitate the achievement of the 
following Congressional goals:
            (1) Conducting a study relating to natural gas 
        infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines and natural gas 
        storage infrastructure, and liquefied natural gas 
        infrastructure in the United States, which shall include an 
        examination of roles, authorities, and methods of assessing 
        risks and benefits employed by United States Government 
        agencies that regulate natural gas infrastructure sitings, 
        taking into account considerations that are beyond the 
        regulatory scope of the current siting agencies and an 
        examination of the extent that reviews of proposed natural gas 
        infrastructure projects by United States Government agencies 
        are conducted in a complementary and effectively coordinated 
        manner.
            (2) Identifying factors that are in the public interest 
        that natural gas infrastructure developers may not take into 
        account in proposing specific projects, and that may not be 
        adequately assessed by United States Government agencies 
        reviewing natural gas infrastructure development proposals due 
        to a lack of technical expertise or oversight authority, 
        including--
                    (A) regional environmental impacts;
                    (B) relationship of proposed natural gas 
                infrastructure developments to United States policies 
                to address climate change;
                    (C) relationship of proposed natural gas 
                infrastructure developments with other national 
                infrastructure development priorities, especially in 
                the electric power sector; and
                    (D) relationship of proposed natural gas 
                infrastructure developments with national safety and 
                security priorities.
            (3) Examining--
                    (A) Federal, State, and local expenditures for 
                water-side and land-based security for natural gas 
                infrastructure protection, including the extent of such 
                expenditures relative to the protection of other 
                critical infrastructure (such as chemical facilities 
                and chemical tankers); and
                    (B) the ability of existing and traditional 
                security missions of agencies involved, including the 
                United States Coast Guard and State and local law 
                enforcement agencies, to ensure adequate security and 
                safety of liquefied natural gas operations.
            (4) Understanding--
                    (A) the linkages among natural gas supplies, carbon 
                dioxide emissions, electricity supply, and electricity 
                reliability, including the extent that United States 
                carbon dioxide policies will influence the existing and 
                anticipated demand for natural gas; and
                    (B) the national and regional requirements for 
                natural gas supply infrastructure in light of other 
                Federal policies related to carbon dioxide control, 
                electricity reliability, and development of domestic 
                natural gas resources.
            (5) Identifying criteria for the selection of appropriate 
        natural gas infrastructure facility locations that will meet 
        national energy policy goals, ensure adequate natural gas 
        supplies, can be adequately secured given existing constraints 
        on water-side and land-based security measures, and are 
        environmentally sound.

SEC. 3. COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Commission on 
Comprehensive Strategies for the Placement of Natural Gas 
Infrastructure (in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Purpose.--The Commission shall conduct a comprehensive review 
of United States natural gas policy for the following purposes:
            (1) Review.--Reviewing relevant analyses of the current and 
        long-term natural gas policy and conditions in the United 
        States.
            (2) Identifying problems.--Identifying problems that may 
        threaten the security of natural gas infrastructure, assessing 
        regional versus national economic impacts of natural gas 
        infrastructure placement, and ensuring the protection of the 
        environment.
            (3) Analyzing potential solutions.--Analyzing potential 
        solutions to problems that threaten the security of natural gas 
        infrastructure, regional economic security, and protection of 
        the environment.
            (4) Providing recommendations.--Providing recommendations 
        that will ensure that the United States natural gas policy 
        goals, including the goals described in section 2, are met.
    (c) Report and Recommendations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Commission shall transmit to 
        Congress a report on the progress of United States natural gas 
        policy toward meeting its long-term goals of natural gas 
        infrastructure, including a detailed statement of the findings, 
        conclusions, and recommendations of the Commission.
            (2) Legislative language.--If a recommendation submitted 
        under paragraph (1) involves legislative action, the report 
        shall include proposed legislative language to carry out such 
        action.
    (d) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 20 members of 
whom--
            (1) 2 shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
        Transportation, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the 
        Maritime Administration;
            (2) 2 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the United 
        States Coast Guard;
            (3) 2 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Energy, 1 of 
        whom shall be a representative of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
        Commission;
            (4) 2 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, 1 of 
        whom shall be a representative of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration;
            (5) 6 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives--
                    (A) 3 of whom shall be appointed in consultation 
                with the majority leader; and
                    (B) 3 of whom shall be appointed in consultation 
                with the minority leader; and
            (6) 6 members shall be appointed by the President Pro 
        Tempore of the Senate--
                    (A) 3 of whom shall be appointed in consultation 
                with the majority leader of the Senate; and
                    (B) 3 of whom shall be appointed in consultation 
                with the minority leader of the Senate.
    (e) Chairperson.--The members of the Commission shall designate a 
Chairperson from among its members.
    (f) Date.--Members of the Commission shall be appointed by not 
later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (g) Period of Appointment.--Members shall be appointed for the life 
of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its 
powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original 
appointment.
    (h) Staff.--
            (1) Director.--The Commission shall have a staff headed by 
        an Executive Director.
            (2) Staff appointment.--The Executive Director may appoint 
        such personnel as the Executive Director and the Commission 
        determine to be appropriate.
            (3) Experts and consultants.--With the approval of the 
        Commission, the Executive Director may procure temporary and 
        intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            (4) Federal agencies.--
                    (A) Detail of government employees.--Upon the 
                request of the Commission, the head of any Federal 
                agency may detail, without reimbursement, any of the 
                personnel of such agency to the Commission to assist in 
                carrying out the duties of the Commission. Any such 
                detail shall not interrupt or otherwise affect the 
                civil service status or privileges of the Federal 
                employee.
                    (B) Technical assistance.--Upon the request of the 
                Commission, the head of a Federal agency shall provide 
                such technical assistance to the Commission as the 
                Commission determines to be necessary to carry out its 
                duties.
            (5) Resources.--The Commission shall have reasonable access 
        to materials, resources, statistical data, and other 
        information the Commission determines to be necessary to carry 
        out its duties from all relevant Federal agencies. The 
        Chairperson shall make requests for such access in writing when 
        necessary.
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