Sponsors
Introduced June 11, 2025 by David Rouzer · Last progress June 11, 2025
The bill speeds and simplifies permitting for linear infrastructure—cutting costs and increasing predictability for developers and governments—while reducing environmental and species protections and public review, which raises risks to waterways, ecosystems, and potentially shifts costs to taxpayers.
Utilities, energy companies, and construction workers can complete linear infrastructure projects faster and with fewer regulatory delays because the bill extends permit durations (up to 10 years) and streamlines nationwide permitting processes.
Local governments and project sponsors face lower administrative burdens and potentially reduced costs and permitting delays for roads, pipelines, and transmission lines due to simplified approval processes.
Developers, utilities, and small businesses gain regulatory predictability because discharges under 3 acres are treated as minimal adverse effects and the definition of a 'single and complete project' is fixed, reducing uncertainty about permit requirements.
Rural communities and local governments face higher flood and water-quality risks because reduced environmental review increases the likelihood of harm to wetlands and waterways.
Recreational users, fishing communities, and local ecosystems could be harmed because limiting Endangered Species Act consultations reduces protections for threatened and endangered species.
Taxpayers and local governments could incur higher long-term costs if frozen regulatory definitions enable piecemeal projects to avoid fuller permitting, shifting mitigation or cleanup burdens onto the public.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Amends the Clean Water Act rules for general (including nationwide) permits to make them longer and easier to use for linear infrastructure and other projects. It increases the maximum permit term from five to ten years, narrows what environmental effects the Secretary must consider to only those caused by dredged or fill discharges, treats discharges into less than 3 acres of waters as having a minimal adverse effect, requires maintaining nationwide permits for qualifying linear projects, and limits certain state and federal consultation and NEPA requirements while directing the Army Corps to revise implementing regulations quickly.