1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Ending Natural Gas Companies' Seizure of Land for Export Profits Act”.
Ending Natural Gas Companies' Seizure of Land for Export Profits Act
A BILL
To amend the Natural Gas Act to provide that the United States district courts shall not have jurisdiction to condemn property in which a State holds any interest, and for other purposes.
2. Jurisdiction of United States district courts over certain eminent domain proceedings
Section 7(h) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f(h)) is amended—
in the second sentence—
by striking “situated: Provided, That the” and inserting the following: “situated.
“(3) Jurisdiction of United States district courts
“(A) In general—The”
by striking “The practice” and inserting the following:
“(2) Practice and procedure—The practice”
in the first sentence, by striking “(h) When any holder” and inserting the following:
“(h) Eminent domain
“(1) In general—When any holder”
by adding at the end the following:
“(B) State property—The United States district courts shall not have jurisdiction to condemn property in which a State owns any interest.”
3. Prohibition on the use of eminent domain for exports
Section 7(h) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f(h)) (as amended by section 2) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Limitation on use of eminent domain for exports—A holder of a certificate of public convenience and necessity may not exercise the right of eminent domain under this subsection if the project covered by the certificate is a project to be constructed substantially for the purpose of transporting natural gas to an LNG terminal or to other pipelines for export from the United States to a foreign country.”