[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 32 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 32

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold at least 1 
public hearing before issuance of a permit affecting public or private 
                        land use in a locality.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 6, 2009

Mr. Specter (for himself and Mr. Casey) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold at least 1 
public hearing before issuance of a permit affecting public or private 
                        land use in a locality.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AFFECTING PUBLIC 
              OR PRIVATE LAND USE IN LOCALITIES.

    (a) Electricity.--Section 216(c) of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824p(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Public hearings.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                before issuing a permit or other authorization for any 
                action that may affect public or private land use 
                (other than Federal land) in a locality, the Commission 
                shall hold at least 1 public hearing in each county and 
                locality affected.
                    ``(B) Additional public hearing.--If the government 
                of a county or locality described in subparagraph (A) 
                requests that the Commission hold an additional public 
                hearing, the purpose of which is to address an issue 
                that was not addressed at an initial public hearing 
                held under that subparagraph, the Commission shall hold 
                1 additional public hearing on a date that is not 
                earlier than 30 days, nor later than 60 days, after the 
                date on which the initial public hearing was held.''.
    (b) Natural Gas.--Section 7(e) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 
717f(e)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(e)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Public hearings.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                before issuing a permit or other authorization for any 
                action that may affect public or private land use 
                (other than Federal land) in a locality, the Commission 
                shall hold at least 1 public hearing in each county and 
                locality affected.
                    ``(B) Additional public hearing.--If the government 
                of a county or locality described in subparagraph (A) 
                requests that the Commission hold an additional public 
                hearing, the purpose of which is to address an issue 
                that was not addressed at an initial public hearing 
                held under that subparagraph, the Commission shall hold 
                1 additional public hearing on a date that is not 
                earlier than 30 days, nor later than 60 days, after the 
                date on which the initial public hearing was held.''.
                                 <all>