U.S. House of Representatives introduce Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act

Key Takeaways

On July 25, U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.-04) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine-02) introduced the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. This bipartisan bill would amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to clarify ambiguity and streamline the permitting process.  

Background:  

The federal permitting process for infrastructure projects—including transportation, energy, water systems, forest management and broadband—is often lengthy, costly and redundant. These delays can stall and drive up costs for critical projects that improve safety, increase efficiency and support local economies, particularly in rural areas with limited resources. Recent bipartisan efforts have aimed to streamline reviews with significant attention in the 118th Congress. Since taking office, President Trump has issued multiple executive orders addressing the need for permitting reform, most notably in Executive Order 14154 titled “Unleashing American Energy.”

What’s in the proposed legislation?

The SPEED Act would update how federal agencies conduct environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which was signed into law in 1970 and has set federal permitting precedent for over 50 years. The proposed text emphasizes that NEPA is a procedural statute for reviewing environmental impacts, not to determine specific outcomes. The bill would narrow federal agency review requirements, focusing only on effects directly linked to the proposed project.  

Additionally, the bill would allow agencies to use existing environmental reviews for other federal, state and tribal statutes that meet the NEPA requirements to avoid duplicative reviews. The text sets clear deadlines for completing reviews, limits judicial reviews for NEPA claims and expands the use of categorical exclusions. Notably, this bill would codify the Supreme Court’s decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado by clarifying that courts may not override an agency’s judgment regarding the environmental effects considered in its review. Finally, the bill would give project applicants more control and flexibility in the timeline of the review process.  

Why does this matter for counties?

County leaders are directly impacted by changes to NEPA and the federal permitting process. Counties governments play a key role in advancing infrastructure projects to improve safety, advance systems and strengthen communities across the country and invest more than $146 billion annually in our nation’s infrastructure. 

Counties support commonsense permitting reforms to efficiently maintain and improve our nation’s infrastructure while safeguarding the environment. Moreover, counties call for meaningful collaboration with federal and state partners as Congress considers changes to permitting. NACo will continue monitoring legislative developments on permitting reform and their potential impacts on counties.  

Resources:  

Advocacy Tool: Support Local Infrastructure Projects through Permitting Reform

House Committee on Natural Resources Press Release  

Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act Text

Learn more about the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado decision