[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8312 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8312

 To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the emission of any greenhouse 
  gas in any quantity from any new electric utility steam generating 
                     unit, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 17, 2020

Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. 
 Espaillat, Mr. Lowenthal, and Mr. Hastings) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
    in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the emission of any greenhouse 
  gas in any quantity from any new electric utility steam generating 
                     unit, 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 ``Future Generations Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The use of fossil fuels exacerbates the climate crisis, 
        threatens America's natural resources, and disproportionately 
        damages frontline environmental justice communities.
            (2) In order to avoid the worst consequences of climate 
        change, the Federal Government should transition away from 
        fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
            (3) In achieving its energy goals, it is the responsibility 
        of the Federal Government to ensure a fair and just transition 
        for workers and frontline communities.
            (4) The Federal Government should do this by prioritizing 
        racial and gender equity, environmental justice, and partnering 
        with labor unions to ensure that workers have training for and 
        access to clean-energy jobs.

SEC. 3. EMISSIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASSES.

    (a) Prohibition Against the Emission of Greenhouse Gases From New 
Electric Utility Steam Generating Units.--The Clean Air Act is amended 
by inserting after section 111 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 7411) the 
following new section:

``SEC. 111A. PROHIBITION AGAINST THE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES FROM 
              ELECTRIC UTILITY STEAM GENERATING UNITS.

    ``(a) Prohibition.--Beginning on the date of enactment of this 
section, the emission of a greenhouse gas in any quantity from a new 
electric utility steam generating unit shall be treated as a violation 
of a standard or limitation under section 111.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `electric utility steam generating unit' has 
        the meaning given to that term in section 112(a).
            ``(2) The term `greenhouse gas' means--
                    ``(A) carbon dioxide;
                    ``(B) methane;
                    ``(C) nitrous oxide;
                    ``(D) hydrofluorocarbons;
                    ``(E) perfluorocarbons;
                    ``(F) sulfur hexafluoride; or
                    ``(G) any other anthropogenically emitted gas that 
                is determined by the Administrator, by regulation, to 
                contribute to global warming to a non-negligible 
                degree.
            ``(3) The term `new electric utility steam generating unit' 
        means an electric utility steam generating unit that commences 
        operations or otherwise becomes a new source (as defined in 
        section 111(a)) on or after the date of enactment of this 
        section.''.
    (b) Prohibition.--
            (1) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may not--
                    (A) approve an application for the siting, 
                construction, expansion, or operation of an LNG 
                terminal under section 3(e) of the Natural Gas Act (15 
                U.S.C. 717b); or
                    (B) issue a certificate of public convenience and 
                necessity under section 7 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 717f).
            (2) Exception.--
                    (A) In general.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply with 
                respect to an application or certificate that, if 
                approved or issued, will result in a reduction in 
                emissions of any greenhouse gas at the LNG terminal, as 
                determined by the Commission.
                    (B) Definition.--In this section, the term 
                ``greenhouse gas'' means--
                            (i) carbon dioxide;
                            (ii) methane;
                            (iii) nitrous oxide;
                            (iv) hydrofluorocarbons;
                            (v) perfluorocarbons;
                            (vi) sulfur hexafluoride; or
                            (vii) any other anthropogenically emitted 
                        gas that is determined by the Administrator of 
                        the Environmental Protection Agency, by 
                        regulation, to contribute to global warming to 
                        a non-negligible degree.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITING HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.

    (a) Prohibition.--Hydraulic fracturing is prohibited on all onshore 
and offshore land within the jurisdiction of the United States.
    (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``hydraulic fracturing'' 
means an operation conducted in an individual wellbore designed to 
increase the flow of hydrocarbons from a rock formation to the wellbore 
through modifying the permeability of reservoir rock by fracturing it, 
except that such term does not include enhanced secondary recovery, 
including water flooding, tertiary recovery, and other types of well 
stimulation operations.
    (c) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on January 1, 
2025.

SEC. 5. BAN ON CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS EXPORTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 101 of title I of division O of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (42 U.S.C. 6212a) is amended to 
read as follows:

``SEC. 101. PROHIBITION ON EXPORTS OF CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS.

    ``Except as provided in this section, notwithstanding any other 
provision of this Act, exports of domestically produced crude oil and 
natural gas, including liquefied natural gas and natural gas liquids, 
are prohibited. The Secretary of Commerce may, with the approval of the 
President, approve the export of crude oil for--
            ``(1) exchanges in similar quantity for convenience or 
        increased efficiency of transportation with persons or the 
        government of a foreign state;
            ``(2) temporary exports for convenience or increased 
        efficiency of transportation across parts of an adjacent 
        foreign state which exports reenter the United States; and
            ``(3) the historical trading relations of the United States 
        with Canada and Mexico.''.
    (b) Repeal Relating to Exportation of Natural Gas.--Section 3 of 
the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``export any natural gas from the 
                United States to a foreign country or''; and
                    (B) by striking ``exportation or''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (c).
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