42 U.S.C. § 4370m–1
Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council
There is established the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council.
Each individual listed in subparagraph (B) shall designate a member of the agency in which the individual serves to serve on the Council.
If an individual listed in subparagraph (B) designates a different member to serve on the Council than the member designated under subclause (I), the individual shall notify the Executive Director of the designation by not later than 30 days after the date on which the designation is made.
A councilmember described in clause (i) shall hold a position in the agency of deputy secretary (or the equivalent) or higher.
Consistent with guidance provided by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, each individual listed in subparagraph (B) shall designate 1 or more appropriate members of the agency in which the individual serves to serve as an agency CERPO.
In carrying out the duties of the agency CERPO under this subchapter, an agency CERPO shall report directly to the applicable agency councilmember.
In addition to the members listed in paragraphs (1) and (2), the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall also be members of the Council.
Not later than 1 year after
The performance schedules shall reflect employment of the most sound and efficient applicable processes, including the alignment of Federal reviews of projects, reduction of permitting and project delivery time, and consideration of the best practices for public participation.
To the maximum extent practicable, and consistent with applicable Federal law, the Executive Director, in consultation with the Council, shall aim to develop recommended performance schedules under clause (i) of not more than 2 years.
If a recommended performance schedule developed under clause (i) exceeds 2 years, the relevant agencies, in consultation with the Executive Director and the Council, shall explain in that recommended performance schedule the factors that cause the environmental reviews and authorizations in that category of covered projects to take longer than 2 years.
The final completion dates in any performance schedule for the completion of an environmental review or authorization under clause (i) shall not exceed the average time to complete an environmental review or authorization for a project within that category.
The average time referred to in item (aa) shall be calculated based on relevant historical data, as determined by the Executive Director, and shall run from the period beginning on the date on which the Executive Director must make a specific entry for the project on the Dashboard under section 4370m–2(b)(2) of this title (except that, for projects initiated before that duty takes effect, the period beginning on the date of filing of a completed application), and ending on the date of the issuance of a record of decision or other final agency action on the review or authorization.
Each performance schedule shall specify that any decision by an agency on an environmental review or authorization must be issued not later than 180 days after the date on which all information needed to complete the review or authorization (including any hearing that an agency holds on the matter) is in the possession of the agency.
Not later than 2 years after the date on which the performance schedules are established under this subparagraph, and not less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, the Executive Director, in consultation with the Council, shall review and revise the performance schedules.
The Executive Director of the Council may appoint and fix the compensation of such employees as the Executive Director considers necessary to carry out the roles and responsibilities of the Executive Director.
The Council shall make recommendations to the Executive Director with respect to the designations under paragraph (1)(B) and the performance schedules under paragraph (1)(C).
The Council may update the recommendations described in clause (i).
The Council shall meet not less frequently than annually with groups or individuals representing State, tribal, and local governments that are engaged in the infrastructure permitting process.
Section was enacted as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, also known as the FAST Act, and not as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 which comprises this chapter.
2022—Subsec. (c)(1)(E). Pub. L. 117–328 added subpar. (E).
2021—Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(1), substituted “Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council” for “Federal Permitting Improvement Council” in section catchline.
Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(i). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(2)(A), designated existing provisions as subcl. (I), inserted subcl. heading, and added subcl. (II).
Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(i), substituted “councilmember” for “councilmem-ber”.
Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(iii)(II). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(2)(B), substituted “the applicable agency councilmember” for “a deputy secretary (or the equivalent) or higher”.
Subsec. (c)(1)(C)(ii)(I). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(A)(i), added subcl. (I) and struck out former subcl. (I). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The performance schedules shall reflect employment of the use of the most efficient applicable processes, including the alignment of Federal reviews of projects and reduction of permitting and project delivery time.”
Subsec. (c)(1)(C)(ii)(II), (III). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(A)(ii), (iii), added subcl. (II) and redesignated former subcl. (II) as (III).
Subsec. (c)(1)(C)(ii)(III)(bb). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(A)(iv), substituted “based on relevant historical data, as determined by the Executive Director,” for “on the basis of data from the preceding 2 calendar years”.
Subsec. (c)(2)(B). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(B)(i), substituted “less frequently than annually, the Council shall issue recommendations on the best practices for improving the Federal permitting process for covered projects, which may include” for “later than 1 year after
Subsec. (c)(2)(B)(i). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(B)(ii), substituted “stakeholder engagement, including—” for “stakeholder engagement, including”, added subcl. (I), and inserted designation for subcl. (II) before “fully considering”.
Subsec. (c)(2)(B)(viii) to (x). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(B)(iii)–(v), added cls. (viii) and (ix) and redesignated former cl. (viii) as (x).
Subsec. (c)(3)(A). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(3)(C), inserted “, including agency compliance with intermediate and final completion dates described in coordinated project plans” after “authorizations”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–58, § 70801(b)(4), struck out subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall designate a Federal agency, other than an agency that carries out or provides support only for projects that are not covered projects, to provide administrative support for the Executive Director, and the designated agency shall, as reasonably necessary, provide support and staff to enable the Executive Director to fulfill the duties of the Executive Director under this subchapter.”