Description:
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on May 16, 2012
H.R. 3973 would make several changes related to environmental laws, energy programs, and the management of mineral resources on Native American reservations. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $58 million over the 2013-2017 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts.
Pay-as-you-go procedures apply because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending. However, CBO estimates that the net effects would be insignificant over the 2013-2022 period. Enacting H.R. 3973 would not affect revenues.
H.R. 3973 would impose an intergovernmental and private-sector mandate, as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), by requiring plaintiffs, including public and private entities, to post a bond when seeking a preliminary injunction to stop energy-related activities on Native American energy projects. CBO estimates that the costs for public and private entities would probably fall below the annual thresholds established in UMRA ($73 million and $146 million, respectively, in 2012, adjusted annually for inflation).
