Dusty Johnson U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Dusty Johnson U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district | Official U.S. House Headshot
U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ) have reintroduced the Interactive Federal Review Act, a legislative proposal aimed at digitizing and streamlining the permitting process for transportation infrastructure projects. The bill seeks to address delays in the environmental analysis and community engagement processes by implementing interactive, digital, cloud-based platforms.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) would be tasked with selecting at least ten federal highway projects to demonstrate this new approach. Representative Johnson noted that countries like Australia, Italy, and France have more efficient permitting processes compared to the United States. "There is no need for the process to be on paper – we must bring these environmental reviews onto a user-friendly, electronic platform," he said. Johnson emphasized that such measures could halve review times and expedite approval for roads and bridges.
Representative Stanton highlighted the current inefficiencies in environmental reviews, citing prolonged timelines as detrimental to economic growth. He described the act as bringing the review process "into the 21st century" while ensuring responsible environmental practices are maintained.
Michele Stanley of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association praised the proposed shift from outdated PDF-based reviews to cloud-based platforms, suggesting it could cut review times by 50% through real-time collaboration and transparency. Dave Bauer from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association echoed support for modernizing permitting processes with digital technology.
Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
Background data indicates that since NEPA's enactment over 50 years ago, Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) completion times have significantly increased. From an average of 2.5 years in the 1970s to currently around 6.5 years, lengthy EIS processes contribute to project delays when they exceed five years.
The Interactive Federal Review Act aims to move NEPA document development from static PDFs exchanged via email to interactive platforms. These tools are projected to reduce overall document review time by enabling concurrent agency evaluations and enhancing transparency.
This bill builds upon earlier steps taken by Congress under the Fiscal Responsibility Act regarding digital portals for NEPA projects.
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