Hoeven's Tribal Energy Bill Headed to the President

 Senator John Hoeven

Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), announced that the House passed his bill, S. 245, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017 on Tuesday, December 11. His bill will now be sent to the President to be signed into law.

“This legislation empowers Tribes to manage their own energy resources, cuts red tape, drives economic growth and promotes energy development for Indian Country. It streamlines the process for Tribes to enter into Tribal Energy Resource Agreements (TERAs) with the Department of the Interior (DOI),” said Hoeven. “TERAs facilitate more tribal control by authorizing tribal contracts, leases, and rights-of-ways for energy development without unnecessary, cumbersome federal bureaucracy. The bill will help level the playing field for Tribes so that they can participate, if they choose, in the booming energy market. We appreciate Congressman Don Young’s (R-AK-AL) leadership on this issue in the House and look forward to continuing to work together in the next Congress to incorporate his ideas for energy independence for Native communities. This bill was first introduced during the 112th Congress, and these improvements are long overdue. I look forward to the President signing this bill into law.”