Sponsors (4)
The bill speeds delivery of many transportation projects by expanding categorical exclusions but increases the risk of environmental harm and reduces public review, shifting a trade-off between faster infrastructure work and oversight/transparency.
State and local transportation agencies can treat larger projects (up to $70 million) as categorical exclusions, allowing approvals to proceed faster and projects to begin sooner.
State and local governments will face less paperwork for very small actions because the bill lowers the lower threshold from $6 million to $2 million, concentrating review on smaller projects under tightened criteria.
Local communities and governments may face increased environmental and public health risks because more projects up to $70 million could avoid detailed environmental review.
Local residents and taxpayers could see reduced transparency and fewer opportunities for public input on significant highway and infrastructure projects due to expanded categorical exclusions.
State and local governments (and taxpayers) may face higher costs and delays for some mid-size projects because lowering the lower threshold from $6 million to $2 million could push more projects into full environmental review.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Replaces two dollar thresholds in MAP-21 categorical-exclusion rules—$6M becomes $2M and $35M becomes $70M—changing which highway projects qualify for streamlined review.
Official title: Amend MAP-21 to modify provisions relating to a categorical exclusion for projects of limited Federal assistance, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 22, 2025 by Cynthia M. Lummis · Last progress May 22, 2025
Changes two dollar thresholds in categorical exclusion rules for Federal-aid highway projects: it lowers one threshold from $6,000,000 to $2,000,000 and raises another from $35,000,000 to $70,000,000. The net effect changes which projects may qualify for streamlined treatment under existing MAP-21 categorical exclusion language, altering the size of projects that can bypass more detailed environmental review under those subparagraphs.