[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4615. Mr. HICKENLOOPER submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by him to the bill S. 1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory 
Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes; which was ordered to 
lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. _____. EXPEDITING AFFORDABLE ELECTRICITY PROJECT 
                   PERMITTING.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered official.--The term ``covered official'' 
     means--
       (A) the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of 
     Defense, as applicable;
       (B) the Deputy Secretary of the Interior or the Deputy 
     Secretary of Defense, as applicable;
       (C) any other political appointee to the Department of the 
     Interior or the Department of Defense, as applicable; and
       (D) any career employee of the Department of the Interior 
     or the Department of Defense, as applicable.
       (2) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means a 
     project to develop, produce, generate, store, transport, or 
     distribute energy that--
       (A) is carried out on Federal land; or
       (B) requires the review or approval of a Federal agency or 
     official.
       (3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means each of 
     the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Defense.
       (b) Requirement for Parity.--The Secretaries shall ensure 
     that no type of covered project is subject to more 
     restrictive or burdensome procedural requirements than any 
     other type of covered project with respect to the processing 
     of applications, the approval or denial of applications, or 
     the provision or rescission of authorizations, including--
       (1) requirements for elevated or discretionary review by a 
     covered official;
       (2) the withholding, delaying, or reversing of decisions 
     made by local, State, or regional entities for a type of 
     covered project for reasons not applied to all other types of 
     covered projects; and
       (3) the denial or delay of authorizations, such as testing 
     permits, cost recovery agreements, mitigation agreements, or 
     notices to proceed once all criteria have been met for 
     approval, based on underlying technology.
       (c) Policy Review.--Not later than 15 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall--
       (1) review all applicable regulations, guidance documents, 
     policy manuals, departmental directives, Secretarial orders, 
     and other procedures relating to covered projects; and
       (2) identify any provision of those regulations, documents, 
     manuals, directives, orders, and procedures not otherwise 
     required by statute that do not comply with the requirements 
     described in subsection (b).
       (d) Rescission.--Not later than 20 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and without delay, the Secretaries 
     shall rescind or amend, as necessary, any provision 
     identified under subsection (c)(2).
                                 ______