ePermit Act

The bill would direct the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to develop government-wide data standards for environmental permitting data within 60 days of enactment and publish implementation guidance — including minimum functional requirements such as automated data sharing among agencies, AI-assisted comment analysis, and integrated geographic information system tools — within 120 days. It would require every federal agency responsible for environmental reviews or authorizations to assess its existing systems, submit implementation plans to CEQ, and begin adopting the new standards within 180 days. CEQ and the agencies would also be required to develop and maintain a unified interagency data system, with a shared-services pilot to be overseen by CEQ within one year and a fully operational system to be in place by December 1, 2027.

The centerpiece of the unified system would be a common cloud-based authorization portal, hosted by the General Services Administration, where project sponsors could submit all permitting documentation in one place, track real-time review status, and collaborate with agencies digitally. The bill explicitly prohibits using any automated screening tools to unlawfully restrict activities on federal lands and bars CEQ from imposing regulatory requirements beyond those already established under NEPA or other existing law.

Project sponsors — companies, developers, and government entities — that seek federal environmental permits and authorizations for infrastructure and other projects; federal agencies that conduct NEPA reviews; the Council on Environmental Quality and General Services Administration, which would lead implementation; and members of the public and local communities who would gain new visibility into project status and comment processes through the authorization portal.

Federal environmental permitting delays are a recurring obstacle for infrastructure, energy, and development projects. If enacted, the bill would create a single digital entry point for permitting across all federal agencies, standardize data to eliminate redundant reviews, and apply automation and AI tools to reduce paperwork and administrative lag — potentially compressing timelines that currently can span years and generating real-time data that Congress could use for oversight.

CEQ would lead a phased rollout: publishing data standards within 60 days, guidance and minimum functional requirements within 120 days, and overseeing a shared-services pilot including the authorization portal within one year. Each agency must assess its existing systems against the new standards and submit implementation plans within 90 days, then begin implementing within 180 days — reporting progress to CEQ and the Office of Management and Budget at least twice yearly. The General Services Administration would host the authorization portal as a shared service. CEQ would report annually to the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on progress toward the unified system.