H.R. 9838 — National Security Interstate Pipeline Act

This section finds that reliable transportation of oil and natural gas is essential to national defense and military readiness. It identifies interstate pipelines as the most efficient and secure method for such transport and states that fragmented federal, state, and local permitting processes create delays that undermine timely development of critical energy infrastructure.

This section authorizes the President to designate interstate oil and natural gas pipelines as covered projects when necessary to supply energy to military installations, the defense industrial base, or critical infrastructure resilience, with designations published in the Federal Register. It grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission exclusive authority to site, construct, expand, and operate such projects; requires the Commission to issue or deny certificates and lead all federal environmental reviews; deems federal authorizations approved if not completed within 180 days and state, local, or tribal actions within 60 days; limits alternatives considered in reviews to those technically and economically feasible and consistent with national security objectives; and preempts state, tribal, and local laws that prohibit or would delay or increase the cost of covered projects. Certificate holders may acquire property by negotiation or eminent domain after good-faith offers and payment of just compensation, including separate valuation for temporary easements and severance damages.