US Congress Senate Bill 245 (Prior Session Legislation)

---

Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-1)
Status: Passed on December 18 2018 - 100% progression
Action: 2018-12-18 - Became Public Law No: 115-325.
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [PDF]

Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017 TITLE I--INDIAN TRIBAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-DETERMINATION ACT AMENDMENTS (Sec. 101) This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Department of the Interior to provide Indian tribes with technical assistance in planning their energy resource development programs. The Department of Energy (DOE) Indian energy education planning and management assistance program is expanded to make intertribal organizations eligible for grants and to allow grants to be used to increase the capacity of tribes to manage energy development and energy efficiency programs. Eligibility for DOE energy development loan guarantees is expanded to include tribal energy development organizations. (Sec. 103) This bill allows leases and business agreements that pool, unitize, or communitize a tribe's energy resources with other energy resources. An energy-related tribal lease, business agreement, or right-of-way does not require Interior's approval if it complies with a tribal energy resource agreement or it is a lease with a tribal energy development organization that Interior has certified, and the term does not exceed specified limits. The process and conditions for Interior's approval of tribal energy resource agreements are revised. This bill revises the process for determining whether an interested party has a valid claim to be suffering an adverse environmental impact due to a tribe's noncompliance with such an agreement. Interior must make available to a tribe the amount Interior would have expended to carry out an activity that the tribe is carrying out pursuant to a tribal energy resource agreement. (Sec. 104) DOE must collaborate with the Directors of the National Laboratories in making the full array of DOE technical and scientific resources available for tribal energy activities and projects. TITLE II--MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS (Sec. 201) This bill amends the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to give tribes, in addition to states and municipalities, preference for the receipt of preliminary hydroelectric licenses. (Sec. 202) This bill amends the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to direct Interior, for land under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), for land under Forest Service jurisdiction, to enter into agreements with tribes to carry out demonstration projects to promote biomass energy production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities by providing them with reliable supplies of woody biomass from federal lands. Interior and USDA must enter into agreements with tribal organizations to carry out additional biomass demonstration projects. (Sec. 203) This bill amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to revise requirements for direct home weatherization grants to tribes. (Sec. 204) Interior, an affected tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the tribe must appraise mineral or energy resources involved in a transaction requiring Interior's approval. (Sec. 205) This bill amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to allow the Navajo Nation to enter into mineral resource leases on their restricted lands without Interior's approval. The maximum term of a Navajo Nation lease that does not require Interior's approval is extended for commercial and agricultural leases. (Sec. 206) The Crow Tribe of Montana may enter into leases of their land held in trust for a term of up to 99 years. (Sec. 207) This bill sets forth provisions for money held by Interior in connection with the review and approval of a sale, lease, permit, or other conveyance of Indian land.

Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017

Sen. John Hoeven [R-ND]	Sen. John Barrasso [R-WY]	Sen. John McCain [R-AZ]	Sen. James Lankford [R-OK]
Sen. Jerry Moran [R-KS]	Sen. Heidi Heitkamp [D-ND]	Sen. Michael Enzi [R-WY]	Sen. Cory Gardner [R-CO]

Date	Chamber	Action
2018-12-18	House	Became Public Law No: 115-325.
2018-12-18	House	Signed by President.
2018-12-12	House	Presented to President.
2018-12-10	House	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2018-12-10	House	On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H9782-9788)
2018-12-10	House	DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 245.
2018-12-10	House	Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H9782-9789)
2018-12-10	House	Mr. Bishop (UT) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
2018-11-30	House	Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 823.
2018-11-30	House	Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
2018-11-30	House	Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-1057, Part I.
2018-11-15	House	Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
2018-11-15	House	Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
2018-11-15	House	Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs Discharged.
2017-12-04	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
2017-12-04	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
2017-12-01	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
2017-11-30	House	Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
2017-11-30	House	Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
2017-11-30	House	Message on Senate action sent to the House.
2017-11-30	House	Received in the House.
2017-11-29	Senate	Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7491-7497; text: CR S7491-7497)
2017-05-24	Senate	Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 104.
2017-05-24	Senate	Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven without amendment. With written report No. 115-84.
2017-02-08	Senate	Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported favorably.
2017-01-30	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S492)

SB1460 (Related) 2017-09-19 - Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/245/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s245/BILLS-115s245is.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s245/BILLS-115s245rs.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s245/BILLS-115s245es.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s245/BILLS-115s245rh.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s245/BILLS-115s245enr.pdf