§6306. Administrative procedure and judicial review

(a) Procedure for prescription of rules

(1) In addition to the requirements of section 553 of title 5, rules prescribed under section 6293, 6294, 6295, 6297, or 6298 of this title shall afford interested persons an opportunity to present written and oral data, views, and arguments with respect to any proposed rule.

(2) In the case of a rule prescribed under section 6295 of this title, the Secretary shall, by means of conferences or other informal procedures, afford any interested person an opportunity to question-

(A) other interested persons who have made oral presentations; and

(B) employees of the United States who have made written or oral presentations with respect to disputed issues of material fact.

Such opportunity shall be afforded to the extent the Secretary determines that questioning pursuant to such procedures is likely to result in a more timely and effective resolution of such issues.

(3) A transcript shall be kept of any oral presentations made under this subsection.

(b) Petition by persons adversely affected by rules; effect on other laws

(1) Any person who will be adversely affected by a rule prescribed under section 6293, 6294, or 6295 of this title may, at any time within 60 days after the date on which such rule is prescribed, file a petition with the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which such person resides or has his principal place of business, for judicial review of such rule. A copy of the petition shall be transmitted by the clerk of the court to the agency which prescribed the rule. Such agency shall file in the court the written submissions to, and transcript of, the proceedings on which the rule was based, as provided in section 2112 of title 28.

(2) Upon the filing of the petition referred to in paragraph (1), the court shall have jurisdiction to review the rule in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5 and to grant appropriate relief as provided in such chapter. No rule under section 6293, 6294, or 6295 of this title may be affirmed unless supported by substantial evidence.

(3) The judgment of the court affirming or setting aside, in whole or in part, any such rule shall be final, subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in section 1254 of title 28.

(4) The remedies provided for in this subsection shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other remedies provided by law.

(5) The procedures applicable under this part shall not-

(A) be considered to be modified or affected by any other provision of law unless such other provision specifically amends this part (or provisions of law cited herein); or

(B) be considered to be superseded by any other provision of law unless such other provision does so in specific terms by referring to this part and declaring that such provision supersedes, in whole or in part, the procedures of this part.

(c) Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is vested in the Federal district courts of the United States over actions brought by-

(1) any adversely affected person to determine whether a State or local government is complying with the requirements of this part; and

(2) any person who files a petition under section 6295(n) of this title which is denied by the Secretary.

( Pub. L. 94–163, title III, §336, Dec. 22, 1975, 89 Stat. 930 ; Pub. L. 95–619, title IV, §§425(g), 427, title VI, §691(b)(2), Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3266 , 3267, 3288; Pub. L. 100–12, §9, Mar. 17, 1987, 101 Stat. 123 ; Pub. L. 105–388, §5(a)(6), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3478 .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–388 substituted "section 6295(n)" for "section 6295(k)".

1987-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–12 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: "Rules under sections 6293, 6294, 6295(a), 6297(b), or 6298 of this title shall be prescribed in accordance with section 553 of title 5, except that-

"(1) interested persons shall be afforded an opportunity to present written and oral data, views, and arguments with respect to any proposed rule, and

"(2) in the case of a rule under section 6295(a) of this title, the Secretary shall, by means of conferences or other informal procedures, afford any interested person an opportunity to question-

"(A) other interested persons who have made oral presentations under paragraph (1), and

"(B) employees of the United States who have made written or oral presentations,

with respect to disputed issues of material fact. Such opportunity shall be afforded to the extent the Secretary determines that questioning pursuant to such procedures is likely to result in a more timely and effective resolution of such issues.

A transcript shall be kept of any oral presentations made under this subsection."

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–12 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows:

"(1) Any person who will be adversely affected by a rule prescribed under section 6293, 6294, or 6295 of this title when it is effective may, at any time prior to the sixtieth day after the date such rule is prescribed, file a petition with the United States court of appeals for the circuit wherein such person resides or has his principal place of business, for a judicial review thereof. A copy of the petition shall be forthwith transmitted by the clerk of the court to the agency which prescribed the rule. Such agency thereupon shall file in the court the written submissions to, and transcript of, the proceedings on which the rule was based as provided in section 2112 of title 28.

"(2) Upon the filing of the petition referred to in paragraph (1), the court shall have jurisdiction to review the rule in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5 and to grant appropriate relief as provided in such chapter. No rule under section 6293, 6294, or 6295 of this title may be affirmed unless supported by substantial evidence.

"(3) The judgment of the court affirming or setting aside, in whole or in part, any such rule shall be final, subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in section 1254 of title 28.

"(4) The remedies provided for in this subsection shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other remedies provided by law."

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–12 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows:

"(1) Titles IV and V of the Department of Energy Organization Act shall not apply with respect to the procedures under this part.

"(2) The procedures applicable under this part shall not-

"(A) be considered to be modified or affected by any other provision of law unless such other provision specifically amends this part (or provisions of law cited herein), or

"(B) be considered to be superseded by any other provision of law unless such other provision does so in specific terms, referring to this part, and declaring that such provision supersedes, in whole or in part, the procedures of this part."

1978-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–619, §§425(g)(1)–(3), 691(b)(2), struck out par. designation "(1)" before "Rules" and substituted reference to section "6295(a)" for "6295(a)(1), (2), or (3)" in first sentence; redesignated subpars. (A) and (B) and cls. (i) and (ii) of subpar. (B) as pars. (1) and (2) and subpars. (A) and (B) of par. (2), respectively; struck out "paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of" before "section 6295(a)" in par. (2) as so redesignated; directed the substitution of "paragraph (1)" for "subparagraph (A)" in par. (2)(B) as so redesignated, which was executed to par. (2)(A) as so redesignated to reflect the probable intent of Congress; substituted "subsection" for "paragraph" in last sentence; and substituted "Secretary" for "Administrator", meaning Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration, wherever appearing.

Par. (2), which provided that subsecs. (c) and (d) of section 57a of title 15 shall apply to rules under section 6295 of this title (other than subsecs. (a)(1), (2), and (3)) to the same extent that such subsecs. apply to rules under section 57a(a)(1)(B) of title 15, was struck out to reflect the probable intent of Congress in view of the amendment by Pub. L. 95–619, §425(g)(1), which struck out designation "(1)" after subsection (a) designation, and in view of the amendment by Pub. L. 95–619, §422, to section 6295(a) of this title, which struck out pars. (3) to (5) therefrom.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–619, §425(g)(4), (5), substituted "section 6293, 6294, or 6295" for "section 6293 or 6294" in pars. (1) and (2) and struck out former par. (5) which related to the application of section 57a(e) of title 15 to rules under section 6295 of this title.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–619, §427, added subsec. (c).