Sponsors
This bill speeds and stabilizes permitting and judicial resolution for data center and covered infrastructure projects—reducing delays and increasing predictability for developers and local economies—at the cost of curtailing judicial remedies and increasing risks that environmental harms and cleanup costs will persist or be shifted onto the public.
Small businesses, utilities, and developers: permits for covered data centers and infrastructure remain in effect and projects can continue during judicial review, reducing immediate construction stoppages.
Applicants and project sponsors across states: faster, more localized judicial review (including the ability to move petitions to the project circuit) and clear, short filing deadlines (90 days) give more predictable and expedited resolution of permit challenges.
Investors, employers, and local economies: greater regulatory certainty from preserved permits and quicker dispute resolution reduces the likelihood of prolonged delays that disrupt projects and jobs.
Local communities and residents: courts are restricted from vacating permits even when they find unlawful environmental review, limiting judicial remedies against harmful projects.
Nearby residents, public health, and ecosystems: projects can continue despite identified environmental or endangered-species harms, increasing risk of ongoing pollution, habitat damage, or reduced ESA protections.
Taxpayers and state/local governments: agencies may be required to remediate or mitigate harms after projects proceed, shifting cleanup and compliance costs onto public budgets.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 24, 2026 by Michael Baumgartner · Last progress March 24, 2026
Prevents courts from vacating or setting aside federal permits, licenses, or approvals for data centers or infrastructure that supports them even if a court finds a violation of listed federal environmental laws; instead, courts must remand the matter to the issuing agency to correct the legal error. It also creates exclusive, original jurisdiction in the federal court of appeals for the circuit where the project is or will be located, requires expedited review, and generally limits the time to seek judicial review to 90 days after the final agency action is published. The bill defines covered projects (data centers and related infrastructure), preserves agency processing of applications, and overrides portions of the Administrative Procedure Act to prevent vacatur of permits. It does not change the substantive environmental statutes named, does not authorize new funding, and leaves enforcement of permit terms intact.