The House of Representatives passes sweeping, AGC-backed permitting reform legislation that will expedite federal review and permitting decisions, deter unwarranted lawsuits, and ensure federal agencies are more transparent and accountable without harming the environment.  

On March 30, the House of Representatives passed sweeping, AGC-backed permitting reform legislation that will expedite federal review and permitting decisions, deter unwarranted lawsuits, and ensure federal agencies are more transparent and accountable without harming the environment. 

The Lower Energy Costs Act, H.R. 1, includes a host of reforms that will help address bureaucratic hurdles, mitigate permitting delays, and provide more transparency and accountability at federal agencies by, among other things: 

• Reducing redundancy and duplication in the permitting and review process without jeopardizing environmental protections;
• Shortening the statute of limitations for case filings to 120 days after completion of the environmental review;
• Requiring perspective plaintiffs to participate in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process as a pre-requisite for filing a lawsuit after permitting decisions are final.

These improvements will help bring interested parties to the table during the review process so their concerns may be addressed then rather than after the completion of federal review and permitting decisions. 

While the bill as a whole faces high hurdles in the Senate because of its provisions to spur more fossil fuels development, the permitting reform provisions, however, lay an important marker in what are ongoing discussions between the chambers to move forward on this critical topic.  

AGC will continue to press for streamlining the federal review and permitting processes.