Sponsors (2)
The bill improves transparency and can speed permitting for DPA-supported critical-material projects—potentially benefiting industry, workers, and local economies—but raises risks to sensitive information, local environmental review, adds reporting burdens, and may divert permitting attention from non-DPA projects.
Local governments, rural communities, and energy/utilities companies will get public tracking of DPA Section 303 projects on the FAST Act Permitting Dashboard, increasing transparency about federal permitting timelines and oversight.
Utilities, energy companies, and workers may see faster coordination and permitting reviews for mining modernization, processing, and reclamation projects labeled as FAST Act–covered, potentially accelerating deployment of projects that supply critical materials.
Energy workers and nearby rural communities could benefit from modernization projects that include environmental sustainability and workforce-safety measures, potentially reducing local pollution and worker hazards.
Utilities, small businesses, and project sponsors risk disclosing commercial or national-security details when DPA-supported projects are made public on the dashboard unless they successfully request exclusion.
Rural communities could face increased local environmental impacts if faster permitting coordination reduces the time for full local environmental review of projects.
Utilities, small businesses, and local governments that do not request exclusion may face added administrative reporting burdens to maintain dashboard entries.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires specified DoD actions under the Defense Production Act to be treated as FAST Act covered projects and included in the federal Permitting Dashboard unless the project sponsor opts out.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Elissa Slotkin · Last progress December 16, 2025
Treats certain Department of Defense actions taken under Presidential Determination 2022–11 and the February 27, 2023 Presidential Memorandum (implementing section 303 of the Defense Production Act) as FAST Act “covered projects” for federal permitting purposes and requires those actions to be included in the FAST Act Permitting Dashboard unless the project sponsor affirmatively requests exclusion. Covered actions include feasibility studies, mining/beneficiation/value-added processing at existing facilities, byproduct and co-product production, modernization to improve productivity/environmental performance and safety, and any other activity authorized under the cited Defense Production Act authority. The measure does not itself appropriate funds or create new programs; it changes how specified Defense Department activities are treated for federal permitting tracking and coordination to increase visibility and use of FAST Act permitting processes, while preserving an opt-out for project sponsors.