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House Natural Resources Committee advances Speed Act to tighten NEPA timelines, limit some judicial remedies
Summary
The House Natural Resources Committee voted to report HR 4776, the "Speed Act," advancing deadlines and narrowing review scope for NEPA reviews. Supporters said the bill brings certainty and efficiency; opponents warned it reduces public input and limits courts’ ability to block projects.
The House Committee on Natural Resources advanced HR 4776 — the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, known as the Speed Act — after a full‑committee markup that stretched through dozens of amendments and recorded votes.
Chairman Westerman, introducing the bill, said it would restore NEPA to its original procedural purpose and speed projects by limiting the scope of environmental review, imposing enforceable timelines and narrowing judicial remedies. "NEPA has become more synonymous with red tape than environmental protection," he said, citing committee testimony that the average environmental impact statement ran hundreds of pages and took years to complete.
Supporters argued those delays raise costs and stall…
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