Washington, DC –?Today, Congressmen Scott Peters (CA-50) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) celebrated the passage of their bipartisan ePermit Act out of the House. The ePermit Act, which passed out of a House Natural Resources Committee markup last month, would establish a framework for agencies to modernize and implement a digital permitting system. This would expedite the approval process for critical infrastructure initiatives, including renewable energy, housing, and transportation projects.

“Passing this bill out of the House represents a major breakthrough in our effort to finally modernize an outdated permitting system,” Rep. Peters said. “Today’s progress is a clear sign that Congress can still come together to solve real problems; let’s build on this momentum, digitize the permitting process, cut needless delays, and get this bill across the finish line.” 

“It has become harder and harder to get any big project done in America,” said Johnson. “The same road project that can get approved in Germany in six months takes six years in America. America is full of innovators, creators, and builders. It’s time we let them build again, fueling economic growth and unlocking domestic energy production. I’m grateful the ePermit Act passed the House, and I hope the Senate acts soon so this can be the law of the land.” 

Background:

In April, President Trump issued a memorandum emphasizing the importance of modernizing permitting technology. This process began under the Biden Administration in the codification of an e-NEPA study that explored the creation of a digital permitting system. The ePermit Act builds on this momentum and provides legislative clarity and direction on how agencies should implement such an electronic permitting system. The current permitting process has failed to ensure project permitting is on-time and on-task. By failing to embrace modern technology and move on from legacy bureaucratic approaches, like paper forms, many projects are heavily delayed. Congress must address the root causes for delays, which include compiling and reviewing lengthy paper documents, a lack of accessibility and transparency – leading to misunderstanding, conflicts, and all too often, protracted litigation – and continued reliance on outdated technologies and processes for interagency review and comment. 

Read what endorsing organizations are saying here. Read the full bill text here. 

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