Who is affected and how:

• Applicants for section 404 permits: Most directly affected. The change gives applicants a clear legal trigger (submission of a complete application) after which the Administrator may exercise prohibition/restriction authority, reducing ambiguity about when such actions can begin.

• Project sponsors and developers: Gain predictability around the regulatory window and may face fewer early interventions by the Administrator before a complete application is filed; this can shorten uncertainty in pre-permit stages but may shift the timing of potential agency interventions to later in the process.

• EPA (Administrator) and the permit-issuing Secretary/agency: Administrative authority to take 404(c) actions before a complete application is submitted is constrained by the new statutory definition, which may change internal timelines and coordination between agencies for reviewing applications and deciding prohibitions/restrictions.

• Environmental groups and local communities: May be adversely affected if the change limits EPA's ability to act early to protect aquatic resources before a complete application is on file; the practical effect depends on how strictly "complete" application standards are applied and on agencies' willingness to coordinate earlier in the process.

Overall effect:

• The change is procedural and narrowly targeted to timing, not to substantive permitting criteria. It increases certainty for permit applicants about when the Administrator can legally impose prohibitions or restrictions, while potentially reducing the ability to take early precautionary administrative action before formal, complete permit filings. Because it is prospective, it does not alter the status of pending applications.