A project sponsor of a covered project shall submit to the Executive Director and the facilitating agency notice of the initiation of a proposed covered project.
If, at the time of submission of the notice under subparagraph (A), the Executive Director has not designated a facilitating agency under section 4370m-1(c)(1)(B) of this title for the categories of projects noticed, the agency that receives the notice under subparagraph (A) shall be designated as the facilitating agency.
Each notice described in subparagraph (A) shall include-
Any information relating to Native American natural, cultural, and historical resources submitted in a notice by a project sponsor under subparagraph (A) shall be-
Not later than 21 calendar days after the date on which the Executive Director must make a specific entry for the project on the Dashboard under subsection (b)(2)(A), the facilitating agency or lead agency, as applicable, shall-
Each invitation made under subparagraph (A) shall include a 14 calendar day deadline for a response to be submitted to the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable.
An agency invited under paragraph (2) shall be designated as a participating or cooperating agency for a covered project, unless the agency informs the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, and the Executive Director in writing before the deadline under paragraph (2)(B) that the agency-
On request and a showing of changed circumstances, the Executive Director may designate an agency that has opted out under subparagraph (A)(ii) to be a participating or cooperating agency, as appropriate.
The designation described in paragraph (3) shall not-
On establishment of the lead agency, the lead agency shall assume the responsibilities of the facilitating agency under this subchapter.
If the lead agency assumes the responsibilities of the facilitating agency under subparagraph (A), the facilitating agency may be designated as a cooperative or participating agency.
On the request of a participating agency or project sponsor, the Executive Director may designate a different agency as the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, for a covered project, if the facilitating or lead agency or the Executive Director receives new information regarding the scope or nature of a covered project that indicates that the project should be placed in a different category under section 4370m-1(c)(1)(B) of this title.
The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall resolve any dispute over designation of a facilitating or lead agency for a particular covered project.
The Executive Director, in coordination with the Administrator of General Services, shall maintain an online database to be known as the "Permitting Dashboard" to track the status of Federal environmental reviews and authorizations for any covered project in the inventory described in section 4370m-1(c)(1)(A) of this title.
The Dashboard shall include a specific and searchable entry for each covered project.
Not later than 14 days after the date on which the Executive Director adds a project to the inventory under section 4370m-1(c)(1)(A) of this title, the Executive Director shall create a specific entry on the Dashboard for the covered project.
Not later than 14 days after the date on which the Executive Director receives a notice under subsection (a)(1), the Executive Director shall create a specific entry on the Dashboard for the covered project, unless the Executive Director, facilitating agency, or lead agency, as applicable, determines that the project is not a covered project.
The Executive Director may direct a lead agency to create a specific entry on the Dashboard for a project that is not a covered project and is under review by the lead agency if the Executive Director determines that a Dashboard entry for that project is in the interest of transparency.
Not later than 14 days after the date on which the Executive Director directs the lead agency to create a specific entry on the Dashboard for a project described in subclause (I), the lead agency shall create and maintain a specific entry on the Dashboard for the project that contains-
If the facilitating agency or lead agency, as applicable, determines that the project is not a covered project, the project sponsor may submit a further explanation as to why the project is a covered project not later than 14 days after the date of the determination under subparagraph (A).
Not later than 14 days after receiving an explanation described in subparagraph (B), the Executive Director shall-
For each covered project added to the Dashboard under paragraph (2), the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, and each cooperating and participating agency shall post to the Dashboard-
The information described in subparagraph (A) shall be posted to the website made available by hyperlink on the Dashboard not later than 5 business days after the date on which the Federal agency receives the information.
The Executive Director shall publish to the Dashboard-
Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Executive Director must make a specific entry for the project on the Dashboard under subsection (b)(2)(A), the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, in consultation with each coordinating and participating agency, shall establish a concise plan for coordinating public and agency participation in, and completion of, any required Federal environmental review and authorization for the project.
The Coordinated Project Plan shall include the following information and be updated by the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, at least once per quarter:
The coordinated project plan described in subparagraph (A) may be incorporated into a memorandum of understanding.
As part of the coordinated project plan under paragraph (1), the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, in consultation with each cooperating and participating agency, the project sponsor, and any State in which the project is located, and, subject to subparagraph (C), with the concurrence of each cooperating agency, shall establish a permitting timetable that includes intermediate and final completion dates for action by each participating agency on any Federal environmental review or authorization required for the project.
In establishing the permitting timetable under subparagraph (A), the facilitating or lead agency shall follow the performance schedules established under section 4370m-1(c)(1)(C) of this title, but may vary the timetable based on relevant factors, including-
The Executive Director, in consultation with appropriate agency CERPOs and the project sponsor, shall, as necessary, mediate any disputes regarding the permitting timetable referred to under subparagraph (A).
If a dispute remains unresolved 30 days after the date on which the dispute was submitted to the Executive Director, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, shall facilitate a resolution of the dispute and direct the agencies party to the dispute to resolve the dispute by the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of submission of the dispute to the Executive Director.
Any action taken by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the resolution of a dispute under clause (ii) shall-
The facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, may modify a permitting timetable established under subparagraph (A) only if-
A completion date in the permitting timetable may not be modified within 30 days of the completion date.
Except as provided in subclause (II), the total length of all modifications to a permitting timetable authorized or made under this subparagraph, other than for reasons outside the control of Federal, State, local, or tribal governments, may not extend the permitting timetable for a period of time greater than half of the amount of time from the establishment of the permitting timetable under subparagraph (A) to the last final completion date originally established under subparagraph (A).
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, after consultation with the project sponsor, may permit the Executive Director to authorize additional extensions of a permitting timetable beyond the limit prescribed by subclause (I). In such a case, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall transmit, not later than 5 days after making a determination to permit an authorization of extension under this subclause, a report to Congress explaining why such modification is required. Such report shall explain to Congress with specificity why the original permitting timetable and the modifications authorized by the Executive Director failed to be adequate. The lead or facilitating agency, as applicable, shall transmit to Congress, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Executive Director a supplemental report on progress toward the final completion date each year thereafter, until the permit review is completed or the project sponsor withdraws its notice or application or other request to which this subchapter applies under section 4370m-9 of this title.
The following shall not be subject to judicial review:
A permitting timetable established under subparagraph (A) shall be consistent with any other relevant time periods established under Federal law and shall not prevent any cooperating or participating agency from discharging any obligation under Federal law in connection with the project.
Each Federal agency shall conform to the intermediate and final completion dates set forth in the permitting timetable established under subparagraph (A), or with any intermediate or final completion date modified under subparagraph (D).
If a Federal agency fails to conform with an intermediate or final completion date for agency action on a covered project or reasonably believes the agency will fail to conform with a completion date 30 days before such a completion date, the agency shall-
If the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, has a reasonable basis to doubt the continuing technical or financial ability of the project sponsor to construct the covered project, the facilitating or lead agency may request the project sponsor provide an updated statement regarding the ability of the project sponsor to complete the project.
If the project sponsor fails to respond to a request described in clause (i) by the date that is 30 days after receiving the request, the lead or facilitating agency, as applicable, shall notify the Executive Director, who shall publish an appropriate notice on the Dashboard.
On publication of a notice under clause (ii), the completion dates in the permitting timetable shall be tolled and agencies shall be relieved of the obligation to comply with subparagraph (F) until such time as the project sponsor submits to the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, an updated statement regarding the technical and financial ability of the project sponsor to construct the project.
If the Federal environmental review is being implemented within the boundaries of a State, the State, consistent with State law, may choose to participate in the environmental review and authorization process under this subsection and to make subject to the process all State agencies that-
To the maximum extent practicable under applicable law, the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, shall coordinate the Federal environmental review and authorization processes under this subsection with any State, local, or tribal agency responsible for conducting any separate review or authorization of the covered project to ensure timely and efficient completion of environmental reviews and authorizations.
Any coordination plan between the facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, and any State, local, or tribal agency shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be included in a memorandum of understanding.
The facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, shall submit to the Executive Director each memorandum of understanding described in clause (i).
The requirements under this subchapter shall only apply to a State or an authorization issued by a State if the State has chosen to participate in the environmental review and authorization process pursuant to this paragraph.
The facilitating or lead agency, as applicable, shall provide an expeditious process for project sponsors to confer with each cooperating and participating agency involved and, not later than 60 days after the date on which the project sponsor submits a request under this subsection, to have each such agency provide to the project sponsor information concerning-
A lead agency may designate a participating agency as a cooperating agency in accordance with part 1501 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).
The designation described in paragraph (1) shall not affect any designation under subsection (a)(3).
Any agency not designated as a participating agency under subsection (a)(3) shall not be designated as a cooperating agency under paragraph (1).
On request of the Executive Director, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Army shall use best efforts to provide information for inclusion on the Dashboard on projects subject to section 139 of title 23 and section 2348 of title 33 likely to require-
Inclusion on the Dashboard of information regarding projects subject to section 139 of title 23 or section 2348 of title 33 shall not subject those projects to any requirements of this subchapter.
1See References in Text note below.
42 U.S.C. § 4370m-2
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(D)(ii), is Pub. L. 92-463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770, which was set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and was substantially repealed and restated in chapter 10 (§1001 et seq.) of Title 5 by Pub. L. 117-286, §§3(a), Dec. 27, 2022, 7, Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4197, 4361. For disposition of sections of the Act into chapter 10 of Title 5, see Disposition Table preceding section 101 of Title 5.NEPA, referred to in subsec. (f)(1)(B), means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. 91-190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, which is classified generally to this chapter. See section 4370m(16) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4321 of this title and Tables.
CODIFICATIONSection 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.
AMENDMENTS2021-Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(1)(A), added subpar. (D). Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(1)(B)(i), substituted "21 calendar days" for "45 days" in introductory provisions.Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(1)(B)(ii), inserted "14 calendar day" before "deadline". Subsec. (a)(3)(A). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(1)(C), inserted "and the Executive Director" after "as applicable," in introductory provisions.Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(2)(A), added cl. (iii).Subsec. (b)(3)(A)(i)(V), (VI). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(2)(B)(i), added subcl. (V), redesignated former subcl. (V) as (VI), and struck out "and" at end of subcl. (VI). Subsec. (b)(3)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(2)(B)(ii), (iii), added cl. (iii).Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(3)(A), substituted "coordinated" for "coordination". Subsec. (c)(2)(D)(i). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(3)(B)(i), (ii), added subcl. (I) and redesignated former subcls. (I) to (III) as (II) to (IV), respectively.Subsec. (c)(2)(D)(i)(II). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(3)(B)(iii), inserted ",the Executive Director," after "participating agencies".Subsec. (c)(2)(F)(i). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(3)(C)(i), inserted "intermediate and final" before "completion dates" and "intermediate or final" before "completion date".Subsec. (c)(2)(F)(ii). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(3)(C)(ii)(I), substituted "an intermediate or final completion date for agency action on a covered project or reasonably believes the agency will fail to conform with a completion date 30 days before" for "a completion date for agency action on a covered project or is at significant risk of failing to conform with" in introductory provisions.Subsec. (c)(2)(F)(ii)(I). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(c)(3)(C)(ii)(II), substituted "reasonably believing the agency will fail to conform" for "significantly risking failing to conform".
- Administrator
- The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of General Services.
- Advisory Committee
- The term "Advisory Committee" means the Green Building Advisory Committee established under section 484.1
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.1 See References in Text note below.
- project
- The terms "federally assisted housing" and "project" mean-(A) a public housing project (as such term is defined in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)] );(B) housing for which project-based assistance is provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f] ;(C) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12;(D) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12, as such section existed before November 28, 1990;(E) housing financed by a loan or mortgage insured under section 1715l(d)(3) of title 12 that bears interest at a rate determined under the proviso of section 1715l(d)(5) of title 12;(F) housing insured, assisted, or held by the Secretary or a State or State agency under section 1715z-1 of title 12;(G) housing constructed or substantially rehabilitated pursuant to assistance provided under section 8(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f(b)(2)], as in effect before October 1, 1983, that is assisted under a contract for assistance under such section; and(H) housing that is assisted under section 8013 1 of this title.