A joint House-Senate conference committee finalized work on the national energy policy bill early this morning, The New York Times reports.

The bill could clear a final House vote on Wednesday and a final Senate vote on Thursday. If that happens, it would be the first time in four years that the two chambers agreed on a package.

The Indian title of the bill was approved by the conference committee last week. It encourages the development of Indian lands by streamlining the government's approval process.

"The National Congress of American Indians applauds the efforts of Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman and the House for agreeing on an Indian energy title that has the unified support of Indian Country," said NCAI President Tex Hall. For years, we have worked with Congress to get an Indian energy bill that will deliver results to the Indian families who live on the reservation."

A copy of the Indian title can be found at http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/IndianEnergy.pdf.

Get the Story:
Lawmakers Reach a Deal on New Energy Policies (The New York TImes 7/26)
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Deal Is Near on Overhaul of Energy Policy (The Los Angeles Times 7/26)
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Get the Bill:
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (H.R.6)

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