Text of Senate Amendment 4615

Text of Senate Amendment 4615

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 49 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026) [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). ______