Sponsors (2)
The bill speeds permitting and increases certainty for developers and governments, enabling projects to proceed sooner, but risks weaker environmental review, higher taxpayer costs, and potential delays to other Corps missions if resources are reallocated.
Project developers — including farmers, utilities, and local/state governments — receive faster permit decisions for wetland and water-impact projects, reducing construction delays and associated costs so projects can start and finish sooner.
Local and state governments and permit applicants get quicker jurisdictional determinations, increasing regulatory and planning certainty about whether wetlands/streams fall under federal jurisdiction and lowering legal and permitting uncertainty.
Clearing the Corps' permitting backlog helps move wetland- and water-impact infrastructure projects forward more quickly, improving overall project timelines and local infrastructure delivery.
Rural communities, local governments, and farmers face greater risk to wetlands and water quality because accelerated permit processing could reduce the thoroughness of environmental review.
Taxpayers could bear higher costs because the Corps may need overtime pay or temporary hires to meet accelerated processing timelines, increasing agency expenses.
Communities that rely on other Corps missions — such as navigation, flood control, and emergency response — could see delays or reduced attention if Corps resources are shifted internally to clear the permitting backlog.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced June 11, 2025 by Jeff Hurd · Last progress June 11, 2025
Directs the Secretary of the Army, through the Chief of Engineers, to eliminate the Corps of Engineers’ backlog (as of June 5, 2025) of pending Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) section 404 permit applications and pending jurisdictional-determination requests. The agency must, within 60 days of enactment, expedite procedures and reallocate or augment Corps personnel and resources as needed to clear that backlog.
Requires the Army Corps to eliminate the backlog (as of June 5, 2025) of pending Clean Water Act section 404 permit applications and jurisdictional determination requests and to expedite procedures within 60 days.