Sponsors (2)
The bill speeds and clarifies environmental reviews for defense projects by allowing DoD support to supplement agency capacity, trading off increased expedition for risks of resource diversion from civilian conservation and reduced public confidence in review impartiality.
Military projects (and the service members and contractors who rely on them) can complete environmental reviews faster, reducing delays to defense construction and readiness when the Department of Defense provides funding or personnel support to NMFS/FWS.
NMFS and FWS receive targeted funding to hire staff to finish required reviews, helping avoid agency backlogs and making reviews more timely when resources are otherwise limited.
The bill clarifies which environmental statutes (e.g., MMPA, ESA, Magnuson–Stevens) apply to defense-related reviews, giving agencies and project sponsors more predictable legal scope for permitting and compliance.
Prioritizing and funding defense reviews risks shifting agency resources and attention away from non-DoD conservation and civilian projects, potentially reducing protections or delaying environmental work for local communities and public lands.
Allowing the DoD to fund agency staff for reviews may create perceived or actual conflicts of interest, undermining public trust in the impartiality of environmental reviews and decisionmaking.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes DoD to fund NMFS/FWS personnel and expenses to speed environmental reviews for priority military projects under the MMPA, ESA, and Magnuson–Stevens Act.
Official title: To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize interagency agreements to expedite reviews of priority programs and projects of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 8, 2026 by Sarah Elfreth · Last progress June 8, 2026
Authorizes the Department of Defense to enter agreements with NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to have those agencies carry out environmental reviews and consultations for priority military programs when doing so serves national defense and the agencies lack funds or staff. The DoD may provide direct financial assistance limited to hiring personnel and related review-support costs for reviews under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and Magnuson–Stevens Act.