Unleashing American Pipelines Act

This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to change how courts review approvals of pipeline certificates of public convenience and necessity. It limits who can sue and where, and changes the standard of review for certain claims.

Sec. 2, Judicial review: This section adds new rules for court challenges to pipeline certificate approvals. Only the applicant or a person who has suffered or will soon suffer direct and irreparable economic harm can file a claim, and only within 180 days of approval. An association can sue only if each of its members meets that harm requirement. The court must use a 'clear and convincing evidence' standard instead of 'substantial evidence' when reviewing whether an agency action is unsupported by evidence. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has exclusive jurisdiction over claims that an agency action related to the application exceeds its legal authority.