Senate Republicans introduced a 1,246-page national energy policy bill on Thursday under a rule that will expedite consideration. The bill will head straight to floor debate and will not be taken up in committee.

The text of S.2095 will be posted on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources at http://energy.senate.gov sometime this morning. A Senate aide said the Indian energy section has not been changed since the last version.

The section limits the Department of Interior's involvement in energy projects on Indian land. Under a voluntary program, tribes would not have to seek federal approval for every single project, but in these cases, the Interior's liability for alleged breaches of trust would be waived.

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