US HB7061

Amends the Natural Gas Act to prohibit natural gas exports to "covered nations" (as defined in 10 U.S.C. 4872(f)) without a public interest certification from the Secretary of Energy

Requires exporters to obtain this new certification in addition to the existing export authorization order already required under current law

Secretary of Energy must determine that exports to covered nations would be in the public interest before issuing certification

Certifications remain valid for one year from issuance, unless the Secretary of Energy revokes them earlier

Introduced January 14, 2026 with bipartisan sponsorship (Reps. Elfreth, Castor, Salazar, and Huffman) and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce