A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Protecting American Energy Security Act of 2026," seeks to amend the Natural Gas Act. It would establish a new requirement for exporting natural gas to what is defined as a "covered nation." Under this proposal, exporters would need an additional certification from the Secretary of Energy. This certification must state that the export is in the public interest. Each certification would be valid for one year unless the Secretary revokes it earlier.
Yes
- Scored +2
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill expands the discretionary authority of the Secretary of Energy to certify or revoke export permissions.
- Scored +1
Does this reduce how much oil, gas and coal is produced?
The additional certification requirement may restrict the volume of natural gas exported to covered nations.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this make trade with other countries easier?
The bill creates new regulatory hurdles and certification requirements for exporting natural gas to specific nations.
- Scored -2
Would business owners be better off under this?
Energy exporters face increased administrative burdens and regulatory uncertainty due to the new certification requirement.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Increased Oversight of Exports: By requiring a certification from the Secretary of Energy that the export is in the "public interest," the bill adds a layer of scrutiny to natural gas exports to covered nations (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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New Export Requirements: This bill adds a requirement that no person shall export natural gas to a covered nation without an active certification from the Secretary of Energy, which must be in addition to an existing export order (Section 2).
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Potential for Certification Revocation: The Secretary of Energy has the authority to revoke the required certification prior to the end of its one-year term (Section 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this make trade with other countries easier? — The bill creates new regulatory hurdles and certification requirements for exporting natural gas to specific nations.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Energy exporters face increased administrative burdens and regulatory uncertainty due to the new certification requirement.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the discretionary authority of the Secretary of Energy to certify or revoke export permissions.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this reduce how much oil, gas and coal is produced? — The additional certification requirement may restrict the volume of natural gas exported to covered nations.
- 1/14/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Kathy CastorDemocrat · Florida
Jared HuffmanDemocrat · California
Maria SalazarRepublican · Florida