U.S. House of Representatives passes SPEED Act and other permitting reform bills
Author
Charlotte Mitchell Duyshart
Andrew Nober
Upcoming Events
Related News
Key Takeaways
On December 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776). The SPEED Act would strengthen county involvement in decision-making and make needed commonsense reforms to the federal environmental review process.
The SPEED Act would place limits on the scope and scale of NEPA reviews, codify the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colo. decision and prevent the federal government from rescinding permits to already approved projects. NACo secured provisions in the SPEED Act that would guarantee counties a seat at the table during National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; P.L. 91-190) reviews as cooperating agencies.
The reforms proposed in the SPEED Act would both expand county involvement in the environmental review process and ensure that counties face fewer costly delays during infrastructure, land management planning, housing and broadband projects. The SPEED Act is led by U.S. House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and passed by a bipartisan vote of 221 to 196.
Other Permitting Reforms
The U.S. House also passed several smaller permitting reform bills in recent weeks that make targeted changes to federal environmental review laws:
- ePermit Act (H.R. 4503): Requires the federal government to establish an electronic permitting portal and digitize the NEPA review process.
- Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act (H.R. 573): Directs the White House to publish an annual report on the frequency, scope, duration and impact of NEPA reviews.
- PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898): Eases Clean Water Act permitting requirements and restricts states’ ability to reject permits.
- Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act (H.R. 3668): Designates the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the sole lead agency for NEPA reviews of pipeline projects or natural gas terminals.
Next Steps
The SPEED Act and other permitting reform legislation now await consideration in the U.S. Senate. NACo will continue to advocate for county involvement in decision-making procedures in any changes to federal permitting processes.
Related News
U.S. Senators introduce bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program through 2029
U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2026 (S. XXXX). The bill would reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program through fiscal year (FY) 2029 and provide critical fiscal certainty for timber-dependent communities in more than 700 counties nationwide that are home to National Forests. The U.S. Forest Service-administered program supports essential government services such as roads, public education and law enforcement.
U.S. Senators introduce bipartisan comprehensive permitting reform package with major county wins
On Sep. 30, the leaders of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S. 5653), a comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform package that would make major changes to several federal environmental protection statutes.
Counties Applaud Introduction of Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act
Over 700 counties receive essential resources supporting education, transportation and public safety through SRS
Press Release
Counties Celebrate Key Permitting Inclusions in SPEED Act
NACo issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), which advanced out of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on November 20.
