[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1089 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1089

   To amend the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to allow the Federal 
  Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects to hire 
          employees more efficiently, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 11, 2007

 Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Stevens) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to allow the Federal 
  Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects to hire 
          employees more efficiently, 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. ADMINISTRATION.

    Section 106 of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act (15 U.S.C. 720d) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Administration.--
            ``(1) Personnel appointments.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Federal Coordinator may 
                appoint and terminate such personnel as the Federal 
                Coordinator determines to be appropriate.
                    ``(B) Authority of federal coordinator.--Personnel 
                appointed by the Federal Coordinator under subparagraph 
                (A) shall be appointed without regard to the provisions 
                of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments 
                in the competitive service.
            ``(2) Compensation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                personnel appointed by the Federal Coordinator under 
                paragraph (1)(A) shall be paid without regard to the 
                provisions of subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, 
                United States Code (relating to classification and 
                General Schedule pay rates).
                    ``(B) Maximum level of compensation.--The rate of 
                pay for personnel appointed by the Federal Coordinator 
                under paragraph (1)(A) shall not exceed the maximum 
                level of rate payable for level III of the Executive 
                Schedule under chapter 11 of title 2, United States 
                Code, as adjusted by section 5318 of title 5, United 
                States Code.
            ``(3) Temporary services.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Federal Coordinator may 
                procure temporary and intermittent services in 
                accordance with section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
                States Code.
                    ``(B) Maximum level of compensation.--The level of 
                compensation of an individual employed on a temporary 
                or intermittent basis under subparagraph (A) shall not 
                exceed the maximum rate of basic pay authorized for 
                senior-level positions under section 5376 of title 5, 
                United States Code.
            ``(4) Fees, charges, and commissions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Federal Coordinator may 
                establish and modify reasonable filing and service 
                fees, charges, and commissions, require deposits of 
                payments, and provide refunds in accordance with 
                section 304 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1734), except that, in carrying 
                out this subparagraph, each reference to the Secretary 
                of the Interior in that section shall be considered to 
                be a reference to the Federal Coordinator.
                    ``(B) Use of funds.--The Federal Coordinator shall 
                use amounts collected under subparagraph (A) to carry 
                out this section.''.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF AUTHORITY.

    Section 107(a) of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act (15 U.S.C. 
720e(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(3) the validity of any determination, permit, approval, 
        authorization, review, or other related action taken under any 
        provision of law relating to a gas transportation project 
        constructed and operated in accordance with section 103, 
        including--
                    ``(A) subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of 
                title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the 
                `Administrative Procedure Act');
                    ``(B) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
                1531 et seq.);
                    ``(C) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
                (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
                    ``(D) the National Historic Preservation Act (16 
                U.S.C. 470 et seq.).''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    Section 304 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1734) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``applications and other 
        documents relating to the public lands'' and inserting ``the 
        duties of the Federal Coordinator,'';
            (2) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by striking 
        ``applications and other documents relating to such lands'' and 
        inserting ``the duties of the Federal Coordinator''; and
            (3) in subsection (c), by striking ``sale, lease, use, or 
        other disposition of public lands'' and inserting ``duties of 
        the Federal Coordinator''.
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