Sponsors (11)
The bill speeds delivery and reduces duplicative reviews for HUD/USDA-funded housing—benefiting renters, developers, and state agencies—but increases risks of inadequate local environmental review, may raise administrative costs for agencies/taxpayers, and locks in a regulatory standard that might not fit all communities.
Renters and low-income residents in HUD- or USDA-funded housing will see projects completed and units occupied sooner because the bill streamlines and aligns environmental reviews and inspections, reducing approval delays.
State and local housing agencies and developers will face fewer duplicative reviews and administrative hurdles, lowering project costs and reducing time spent on approvals.
Renters and communities keep environmental protections because the bill requires any streamlining recommendations not to undermine environmental standards or resident safety.
Renters and low-income residents could face greater exposure to environmental harms if faster approvals result in inadequate local review or poorly implemented streamlining.
Taxpayers and state governments could incur higher costs because creating and operating joint review processes and advisory activities may increase HUD and USDA administrative workloads and funding needs.
Rural communities and state agencies may be limited by locking federal reviews to the text of 24 C.F.R. part 58 as of Jan 1, 2025, which could prevent tailoring reviews to local needs or future policy updates.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires HUD and USDA to sign an MOU within 180 days to coordinate NEPA reviews, inspections, form an advisory group, and report recommendations within 1 year.
Introduced July 23, 2025 by Jerry Moran · Last progress July 23, 2025
Requires the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture to formally coordinate environmental reviews and physical inspections for housing projects they fund together. Within 180 days they must sign a memorandum of understanding to evaluate NEPA categorical exclusions, set a lead-agency process, streamline adoption of each other’s EISs/EAs, preserve compliance with HUD environmental rules as of Jan 1, 2025, and study a joint inspection process. Also within 180 days the agencies must create an advisory working group of rural and other stakeholders. Within one year they must report recommendations to two congressional committees on steps to improve efficiency and effectiveness for jointly funded housing projects, provided recommendations do not reduce resident safety, shift long-term costs onto residents, or weaken environmental protections.