Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act
Latest action. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 15.
Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act
This bill expands the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to act as the only lead agency for the purpose of coordinating the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) of natural gas pipeline project applications under the Natural Gas Act. Thus, federal, state, and local agencies involved in the environmental review process must defer to FERC's approved scope for a NEPA review.
FERC must invite and designate the other participating agencies involved in the authorization process by deadlines established by the bill. In addition, FERC must consult with the Transportation Security Administration regarding pipeline infrastructure security, pipeline cybersecurity, pipeline personnel security, and other pipeline security measures.
The bill establishes a deadline for agencies to complete NEPA reviews of pipeline projects and requires concurrent reviews when multiple federal or state agencies are involved.
Applicants for gas pipeline projects do not have to obtain a certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Instead, FERC must incorporate the water quality certification into its NEPA review.
If a federal or state agency requires the person applying for a pipeline authorization to submit data, the agency must consider any such data gathered by aerial or other remote means that the person submits.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to House" stage on March 23, 2023. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 23, 2023: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 15.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 118th Congress (2023-24), 274 of the 16,565 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 1.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Michael Burgess (R-TX) introduced it on February 21, 2023, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 4 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 21, 2023, 1297 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 1267 days ago, on March 23, 2023.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 118th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2025 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers