S. 1217: Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-05-06 · Energy · Latest: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-05-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act

Plain summary

Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act This bill establishes the Interagency Rapid Response Team for Transmission (Team), composed of specified federal agencies, to expedite the permitting process for electric transmission infrastructure on both federal and non-federal land. The Team shall: facilitate coordination and unified environmental documentation among electric transmission infrastructure project applicants, federal agencies, states, and Indian tribes; establish clear timelines for the review and coordination of projects; ensure that each project is posted on the "e-Trans" federal permitting transmission tracking system; and notify Team members involved in any specific permit of any outstanding agency action required with respect to the permit, and any approval or required comment that has exceeded statutory or agency timelines for completion. The Transmission Ombudsperson, established by this Act within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, shall create a process for permitting maintenance and upgrades to electric transmission lines and resolving complaints. The Department of the Interior must not take certain actions under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 with respect to rights-of-way reserved for a federal agency or department for an electric transmission system unless the agency or department head proposes to change the use of the right-of-way to support a function other than an electric transmission system. The actions prohibited unless a change of use is proposed include: requiring a new grant, permit, or renewal of the grant or permit relating to the right-of-way; requiring any other authorization or instrument relating to the right-of-way; or imposing new terms or conditions relating to the right-of-way or its use, including proposed changes affecting electric transmission system facilities or appurtenances.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] reported raising $1.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s1217.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s1217 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114