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S. 209, Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015 1 (February 25, 2015)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo2079 and id is 1 raw text is: 




                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
                             COST ESTIMATE
                                                                February 25, 2015


                                    S. 209
     Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act
                             Amendments of 2015

  As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on February 4, 2015


S. 209 would make various amendments to existing energy programs on tribal lands. Based
on information provided by the affected agencies, CBO estimates that implementing the
legislation would have no significant effect on the federal budget over the 2015-2020
period. Because enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues,
pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

The bill would modify the process tribes use to enter into energy resource agreements,
which shift various management functions related to energy development on tribal lands
from the federal government to tribes. Under the bill, if a tribe takes over the management
of activities that would have been managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) , the
Secretary would be required to pay the tribe an amount equal to the amount that the agency
would have spent to carry out those activities. Because the bill would require the agency to
make payments to the tribe only if the agency received appropriated funds to carry out
those activities, CBO estimates that implementing that provision would have no net effect
on the federal budget.

S. 209 would make various other changes to how energy resources are developed on tribal
lands that would have no significant effect on the federal budget. Under the bill, the
Department of Energy would collaborate with the national laboratories to provide technical
assistance to tribal governments. The bill would establish a pilot program for tribes to use
nonmarketable timber from neighboring federal lands for energy development. S. 209 also
would authorize the Navajo Nation to enter into commercial and agricultural leases for up
to 99 years. The Navajo Nation also would be authorized to enter into mineral resource
leases without DOI approval for 25 years. Any income resulting from those leases would
be paid directly to the tribal owners or to the appropriate tribal government and would have
no impact on the federal budget.

S. 209 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments. Tribes would benefit from greater flexibility and assistance authorized by the
bill for energy development. Any cost to tribes would be incurred voluntarily.

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