119th Congress

2nd Session

S. John Kennedy (LA)

November 10, 2025

Section I.

This Act shall be cited as the “Energy Freedom and Rural Jobs Act of 2025”

Section II. Table of Contents

· Section 1: Title

· Section 2: Table of contents

· Section 3: Findings and purpose

· Section 4: Definitions

· Section 5: Streamlining energy permitting and approvals

· Section 6: Rural workforce development

· Section 7: Revenue sharing with energy-producing states

· Section 8: Regulatory review and sunset provisions

· Section 9: Rulemaking authority

· Section 10: Authorizations and appropriations

Section III

(A.) Findings by Congress

1. The United States holds a surplus amount of natural gas reserves, reaching over a century’s worth of supply for domestic demand.

2. Increasing energy prices disproportionately harm working families, small businesses, and agricultural producers.

3. Excessive federal regulations halts and deters new energy development, especially within states that heavily depend on oil and gas production.

4. Rural communities across the United States, especially ones in Louisiana, rely on energy sector jobs as a primary driver of local economies.

5. Increased domestic production reduces dependence on foreign imports, thus improving the national security of the United States.

6. Proportional revenue sharing between federal and state governments encourages responsible stewardship of natural resources.

(B) Purpose of the Act

1. Expedite the federal permitting and environmental review process for domestic natural gas projects

2. Strengthen workforce development and training in rural energy producing areas

3. Equitably distribute revenue from energy production to producing states on federal lands and water

Section IV.

1. Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright

2. Secretary of Labor: Lori Chavez-DeRemer

3. Secretary of Treasury: Scott Bessent

4. Federal Lands: Lands either owned or administered by the Federal Government, including offshore leases under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior

5. Natural Gas Project: Any activity associated with the exploration, extraction, transportation, or processing of natural gas or associated hydrocarbons

6. Permit: Any license, certification, authorization, or approval required under Federal law for the implementation or operation of a natural project gas

7. Rural Community: A county or parish with a population of less than 100,000 residents or otherwise designated as rural area by the Department of Agriculture

Section V.

A. Expedite Review Process: No later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall establish an expedited review process for natural gas project applications

B. Time Limitations: Each federal agency involved in the review of a permit shall conduct environmental and safety assessments within 180 days after the date of the receipt of a complete application. If an agency fails to meet the deadline under paragraph 1, the permit shall be considered conditionally approved, subject to verification of compliance with all applicable environmental and safety standards

C. Transparency: The Secretary of Energy shall publish quarterly reports that summarize all pending, approved, and denied permits under this section

D. State Cooperation: The Secretary of Energy shall consult with both state and local governments to ensure that environmental safeguards and emergency preparedness plans are maintained

Section VI.

(A) Grants Authorized: The Secretary of Labor, in collaboration with the Secretary of Energy, shall award competitive grants to nonprofit organizations, community colleges, and trade schools for workforce training programs in energy-producing regions

(B) Eligible Uses: Grants under this section may be used to—

1. Provide training for jobs in drilling, pipeline maintenance, environmental compliance, and other related fields

2. Support apprenticeships and certification programs

3. Assist displaced workers in transitioning from other industries

4. Expand educational resources in rural high schools to include energy career pathways

(C) Priority Considerations: Priority shall be given to those applications serving parishes or counties with high unemployment or significant energy infrastructure

(D) Measurable Outcomes: Grants are not to exceed $10,000,000 per fiscal year without expressive authorization by the Secretary of Labor, and funds supporting rural high school partnership must not fall below 25% of the budget.

Section VII.

(A) Of all revenues collected from new federal natural gas leases, 50% shall be distributed annually to the state in which such production occurs. This applies only to leases executed after the enactment is made

(B) States may use funds received under this section for—

1. Infrastructure repair and development

2. Coastal or environmental restoration projects

3. Disaster mitigation and resilience efforts

4. Investment in workforce and education for energy-producing regions

(C) Annual reports must be submitted to the Secretary of Treasury by every state receiving funds, detailing the use of their funds

(D) Any misuse or abuse of federal funding found by the Secretary of Treasury shall result in the immediate suspension of any further disbursements until appropriate corrections are made and verified

Section VIII.

(A) The Government Accountability Office will review the implementation of this Act through environmental outcomes and administrative efficiency within the first two years. The findings will then be submitted to Congress

(B) Unless Congress reauthorizes it following the GOA’s review, the provisions listed in section 5 will be terminated five years after the date of the enactment

Section IX.

(A) The Secretary of Energy, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, will enforce the regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act within the first 180 days of enactment.

(B) Nothing in this Act shall be constructed to exempt any project from any federal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, or the National Environmental Policy Act

1. The number of expedited permits approved

2. Job growth in rural energy sectors

3. Revenue distribution results

(D) If any provisions of this Act are held invalid, the remainder of the Act shall not be affected

Section X.

They are authorized to provide the funds necessary to implement this Act for the fiscal years of 2025 to 2030, not to exceed $500,000,000 annually.