Sponsors (4)
The bill increases federal oversight and regular security-focused review of natural gas exports to reduce geopolitical risk, but imposes new administrative burdens and short-term certifications that raise costs and uncertainty for exporters and could discourage long-term investment.
State governments and taxpayers: exports of natural gas to covered nations will be subject to a one-year public-interest certification by the Secretary of Energy, creating a federal review to identify and mitigate geopolitical or security risks and ensuring regular reassessment as conditions change.
Small businesses and energy workers: new administrative approval requirements and potential delays increase compliance costs and project uncertainty, and added discretionary authority for the Secretary raises the risk of unpredictable denials or revocations that reduce export certainty.
Energy exporters and infrastructure investors: limiting certifications to one year increases regulatory churn and can deter multi-year commercial contracts and long-term investments by making returns and contract terms less predictable.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Stops natural gas exports to certain covered foreign nations unless the exporter also has a one-year DOE certification that the export is in the public interest.
Introduced January 14, 2026 by Sarah Elfreth · Last progress January 14, 2026
Bars exports of U.S. natural gas to certain foreign "covered nations" unless the exporter holds, in addition to any existing export authorization, a one-year certification from the Secretary of Energy that the specific export is in the public interest. The Secretary may revoke the certification earlier. Creates a new federal review step for LNG and other natural gas exports to specified countries, requiring an affirmative national-interest finding by the Department of Energy before such exports may proceed.