"[T]he Natural Gas Export Expansion Act… will eliminate the current arduous process that discourages liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade and increase LNG exports by facilitating permits to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries," the statement said.
Cruz explained the legislation would expedite non-FTA export permits, which currently take years to obtain.
If the bill is passed into law, applications to export LNG to certain non-FTA countries would be treated the same as free trade countries, according to the statement.
The legislation would retain the current law for restricted nations and exclude any country subject to sanctions or trade restrictions.
The United States is expected to become a net exporter of natural gas by next year, largely thanks to the country's LNG exports, according to energy industry analysts.
Earlier this month, the US delivered its first LNG shipment to Poland, reducing that country's reliance on Russian imports.
