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Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015

Introduced: January 21, 2015 Introduced by: Barrasso, John Republican · Wyoming See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 14 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 18, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
Dec 16, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Dec 16, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
Dec 11, 2015
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.
Dec 11, 2015
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 11, 2015
Received in the House.
Dec 10, 2015
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 10, 2015
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 10, 2015
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8617)
Sep 30, 2015
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 242.
Sep 30, 2015
Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso without amendment. With written report No. 114-149.
Feb 4, 2015
Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Jan 21, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S416-417)
Jan 21, 2015
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015

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 Indian 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.

(Sec. 106) Interior must report on its review process for energy-related documents.

TITLE II--MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS

(Sec. 201) This bill amends the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to give Indian 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 Indian 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 Indian tribes.

(Sec. 204) Interior, an affected Indian tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the Indian tribe must appraise Indian 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.

What's happening now December 18, 2015

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.

 Committees of jurisdiction 6
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 1 Republican 4