[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 140 (Wednesday, August 22, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5868-S5869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     J. BENNETT JOHNSTON WATERWAY HYDROPOWER EXTENSION ACT OF 2017

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1142.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1142) to extend the deadline for commencement of 
     construction of certain hydroelectric projects.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 
as reported be considered, the committee substitute be withdrawn, the 
Murkowski amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered 
read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was 
withdrawn.
  The amendment (No. 4002) was agreed to as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``J. Bennett Johnston Waterway 
     Hydropower Extension Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the time period specified 
     in section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) that 
     would otherwise apply to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
     project numbers 12756, 12757, and 12758, the Commission may, 
     at the request of the licensee for the applicable project, 
     and after reasonable notice, in accordance with the good 
     faith, due diligence, and public interest requirements of 
     that section and the

[[Page S5869]]

     procedures of the Commission under that section, extend the 
     time period during which the licensee is required to commence 
     the construction of the applicable project for up to 3 
     consecutive 2-year periods from the date of the expiration of 
     the extension originally issued by the Commission.
       (b) Reinstatement of License.--If the time period required 
     for commencement of construction of a project described in 
     subsection (a) has expired prior to the date of enactment of 
     this Act--
       (1) the Commission may reinstate the license for the 
     applicable project effective as of the date of the expiration 
     of the license; and
       (2) the first extension authorized under subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on that expiration.

  The bill (S. 1142), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1142

       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 ``J. Bennett Johnston Waterway 
     Hydropower Extension Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the time period specified 
     in section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) that 
     would otherwise apply to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
     project numbers 12756, 12757, and 12758, the Commission may, 
     at the request of the licensee for the applicable project, 
     and after reasonable notice, in accordance with the good 
     faith, due diligence, and public interest requirements of 
     that section and the procedures of the Commission under that 
     section, extend the time period during which the licensee is 
     required to commence the construction of the applicable 
     project for up to 3 consecutive 2-year periods from the date 
     of the expiration of the extension originally issued by the 
     Commission.
       (b) Reinstatement of License.--If the time period required 
     for commencement of construction of a project described in 
     subsection (a) has expired prior to the date of enactment of 
     this Act--
       (1) the Commission may reinstate the license for the 
     applicable project effective as of the date of the expiration 
     of the license; and
       (2) the first extension authorized under subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on that expiration.

                          ____________________