Sponsors (3)
The bill creates a clear $50 million threshold that reduces permitting uncertainty and speeds smaller infrastructure projects, but it may lessen environmental scrutiny for near-threshold projects and imposes transitional administrative costs on governments and applicants.
State and local governments, project sponsors, and construction workers will have a clearer $50 million cutoff that reduces uncertainty about which projects are "covered projects," making planning and permitting simpler and helping smaller (<$50M) infrastructure projects move faster.
Local governments and utility/energy companies (and the communities they serve) may face less coordinated or less rigorous environmental review for projects that fall just under the $50 million threshold, reducing oversight on some developments.
Federal agencies, state governments, and permitting applicants will incur administrative and compliance costs to update systems and meet the new January 1, 2027 effective date, creating transitional burdens.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Clarifies and sets the FAST Act "covered project" investment threshold at $50,000,000, expanding which projects get expedited permitting.
Introduced March 19, 2026 by Chris Deluzio · Last progress March 19, 2026
Changes the dollar cutoff that determines which infrastructure projects qualify as "covered projects" under the FAST Act by setting the threshold at $50,000,000. That change brings more projects into the FAST Act’s expedited permitting and process rules and takes effect January 1, 2027 (or on enactment if later). The amendment is technical and narrowly focused: it replaces an unclear numeric value with a clear $50 million threshold in two existing FAST Act provisions, thereby expanding and clarifying which projects are eligible for the faster permitting timeline and related procedures.