Updated 6 days ago
Last progress December 16, 2025 (1 month ago)
This bill changes how federal environmental reviews are done. It says the law is about process, not mandating outcomes. Agencies would look only at direct, close impacts of a project, not far‑off, speculative, or effects tied to other separate or future projects. They wouldn’t have to consider new studies that appear after an application is filed or a review is announced. In some cases, agencies could rely on reviews already done under other laws or by States or Tribes if those meet the law’s requirements. The lead agency would control the process; other agencies couldn’t start their own review if the lead says one isn’t needed, and their comments must stick to issues they have legal authority over. The project’s “purpose and need” can match the applicant’s goals. Once an environmental review is finished, the agency can’t undo it unless a court orders it .
It also narrows lawsuits. A court could only overturn an agency’s process if the agency seriously misused its discretion and the result would have been different. Courts can’t replace the agency’s judgment about environmental effects. If a court finds errors, it sends the decision back with specific instructions and a short deadline to fix them, but the decision stays in place while fixes are made. Lawsuits generally must be filed within 150 days, and usually only by people who made specific, on‑time comments during the public comment period. Courts must move quickly, with set timelines for decisions and appeals. Environmental documents themselves (like an assessment or impact statement) would not count as final decisions you can sue over .
Key points
3 meetings related to this legislation
Last progress December 18, 2025 (1 month ago)
Introduced on July 25, 2025 by Bruce Westerman
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.