Plain Language Summary
# SPEED Act Summary **What It Does:** The SPEED Act would streamline the environmental review process for major federal projects by limiting when the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) applies and speeding up reviews. The bill narrows what counts as a "major federal action" requiring environmental review—for example, projects that only receive federal funding wouldn't automatically trigger NEPA review. It also allows agencies to skip NEPA review if a project has already been evaluated under another federal, state, or tribal environmental law that meets similar standards. Additionally, agencies would only need to consider environmental effects directly caused by a specific project, rather than broader regional or indirect impacts. **Who It Affects:** This bill primarily impacts developers, infrastructure companies, and federal agencies managing projects like roads, pipelines, and energy facilities.
Environmental advocates and conservation groups are likely concerned about reduced environmental scrutiny, while industry groups and those seeking faster project approvals generally support it. The public could see faster infrastructure development but potentially less detailed environmental review. **Current Status:** The bill passed the House of Representatives. It now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill reflects Republican priorities on regulatory streamlining, though its ultimate passage would depend on Senate action and potential presidential signature.
CRS Official Summary
Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act or the SPEED ActThis bill limits the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and modifies the environmental review of major federal actions under NEPA to generally limit the number of federal actions that trigger NEPA review and to expedite the review process.For example, the bill redefines major federal actions, including to specify that an agency may not determine that an action is a major federal action based solely on the provision of federal funds.It also excludes from the requirement for NEPA review certain proposed agency actions that have already been reviewed under another federal, state, or tribal environmental review statute that meets the requirements of NEPA.The bill directs an agency, when preparing an environmental document for a proposed agency action, to consider only those effects proximately caused by the immediate project or action under consideration. Agencies may not consider effects that are speculative, attenuated from the project or action, separate in time or place from the project or action, or in relation to separate projects or actions.The bill modifies the requirement for agencies to prepare an environmental assessment to apply to agency actions that are not likely to have a reasonably foreseeable significant effect on the quality of the human environment. (Currently, the requirement only applies to actions that do not have such an effect.) The bill makes a variety of other modifications to NEPA, including by limiting judicial review of NEPA cases.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.