H.R. 1873Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act

2 recorded actions149 of these members are on the 2026 ballotWhat the measure does Read on Congress.gov

Sponsor: Doug LaMalfa [R-CA-01]
Cosponsors: 20 · 14 Republicans · 6 Democrats
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Committees: Natural Resources Committee, Agriculture Committee · and 1 more
Latest action: Sep 19, 2017 · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-485.

IntroducedApr 4, 2017
Passed the HouseJun 21, 2017
Passed the SenateNot yet reached
Sent to the PresidentNot yet reached
Became lawNot yet reached

What the measure doesCRS summary

Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to lands under their respective jurisdictions, to ensure that all existing and future rights-of-way for electrical transmission and distribution facilities on such lands include requirements for utility vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance activities that:

are developed in consultation with the holder of the right-of-way;

enable the owner or operator of a facility to operate and maintain it in good working order and comply with federal, state, and local electric system reliability and fire safety requirements; and
minimize the need for case-by-case or annual approvals, and instead provide for expedited review and approval, for routine vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance activities within existing electrical transmission and distribution rights-of-way, as well as utility vegetation management activities necessary to control hazard trees within or adjacent to electrical transmission and distribution rights-of-way.

Interior and USDA shall give facility owners and operators the option to submit to the appropriate agency a vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan. Interior and USDA shall develop jointly a consolidated and coordinated process for review and approval of these plans.

Interior and USDA shall apply its categorical exclusion process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to plans developed by this bill.

(A "categorical exclusion" under the NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required.)

If vegetation on federal lands within, or hazard trees on federal lands adjacent to, an electrical transmission or distribution right-of-way granted by Interior or USDA has contacted, or is in imminent danger of contacting, one or more electric transmission or distribution lines, the owner or operator:

may prune or remove the vegetation or hazard tree to avoid disruption of electric service and risk of fire, and

shall notify the local agent of the relevant agency within 24 hours after such removal. The owner or operator of a transmission or distribution facility, after notifying Interior or USDA, as appropriate, may also conduct vegetation management activities on federal lands to meet clearance requirements under standards established by the Electric Reliability Organization or by state and local authorities.

Roll calls on H.R. 18732 roll calls on this measure

Choose a roll call

Jun 21, 2017Each bar: ✓ Yea from the bottom, ✕ Nay aboveJun 21, 2017

How every member votedHouse roll call 315

House Jun 21, 2017 · the primary vote

On Passage

Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act

Passed

300 Yea 118 Nay 13 not voting

Crossed both parties 69 of 418 voting members broke with their own party: 69 Democrats.

Open the official roll call

How the chamber split

One dot per member. Select a seat or a bar to filter the list.

DemocratsRepublicansFilled: YeaRing: NayGrey: not voting or present

By party select a segment to filter

All members431 members

Democratic193 members

Republican238 members

marks half of the votes cast. A party’s majority is the side most of its voting members took.

Cosponsors20 · 14 Republicans · 6 Democrats

Signing on is not a vote: a member can cosponsor H.R. 1873 and vote against it. 5 signed when it was filed.

Loading the public record

Who lobbied on H.R. 187336 organizations

Organizations that named H.R. 1873 in a lobbying disclosure. Only those that cited the bill by number appear, so this is a floor, not a full list.

FIRSTENERGY CORPIts PAC: Firstenergy Corp PAC

Transportation · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Natural Resources · Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV +7 more18 filings · 3rd Quarter (July 1 - Sep 30) 2018Filing

PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRICfiled by PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC, VAN HEUVELEN STRATEGIES, LLC

Environment/Superfund · Homeland Security · Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV · Budget/Appropriations +11 more12 filings · 3rd Quarter (July 1 - Sep 30) 2018Filing

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY ENERGYIts PAC: Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co. PAC

Telecommunications · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Utilities · Transportation +6 more9 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

SALT RIVER PROJECTfiled by THE ADVOCACY GROUP, SALT RIVER PROJECT

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Budget/Appropriations · Clean Air and Water (quality) · Natural Resources +1 more9 filings · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2018Filing

CMS ENERGY CORPIts PAC: CMS Energy Corp. Employees for Better Government

Defense · Telecommunications · Natural Resources · Banking +11 more8 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

EARTHJUSTICE

Budget/Appropriations · Animals · Chemicals/Chemical Industry · Government Issues +3 more8 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

SEMPRA

Utilities · Transportation · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Budget/Appropriations +8 more8 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATIONIts PAC: American Public Power Association, Public Ownership of Electric Resources PAC

Utilities · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code · Disaster Planning/Emergencies · Telecommunications +11 more7 filings · 3rd Quarter (July 1 - Sep 30) 2018Filing

AMERICAN RIVERS

Disaster Planning/Emergencies · Agriculture · Insurance · Budget/Appropriations +5 more7 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.

Aviation/Airlines/Airports · Travel/Tourism · Trade (domestic/foreign) · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities +38 more7 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

187 disclosures name this measure. Retrieved from LDA.gov on 2026-10-05. Senate Office of Public Records cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from LDA.gov.