WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Joe Biden signed Representatives Scott Peters’ (D-CA-50) and Jen Kiggans’ (R-VA-02) Building Chips in America Act to help bring microchip manufacturing back to America while maintaining environmental protections for clean air and water. The legislation passed in the House last month and passed in the Senate, where it is led by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), in December 2023. Original cosponsors of the legislation include Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Todd Young (R-IN), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), Brandon Williams (R-NY-22), and Colin Allred (D-TX-32).

“Last year, Congress made historic investments in our microchip industry that are supercharging innovation in San Diego and around the country,” said Rep Peters. “Unfortunately, the use of CHIPS funding triggers unnecessary and duplicative reviews, which slows down building these projects. Today, we are ensuring that we do not lose a second in the fight for the future while maintaining the world standard in environmental protection. Thank you to President Biden and to the bipartisan majority in both chambers that put partisanship aside to boost domestic chip manufacturing.” 

Following the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, companies throughout the semiconductor supply chain have announced plans to invest hundreds of billions in new domestic manufacturing projects. Under current law, CHIPS Act investments will be considered major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and require each project receiving assistance to undergo additional environmental analysis, even for projects that have already received all their state and federal environmental permits and begun construction.  The Building Chips in America Act will ensure federal environmental reviews are completed in a timely manner for these microchip projects by streamlining approval for projects currently under construction and others that could be delayed, and by providing the Secretary of Commerce greater tools to efficiently carry out reviews.  

This is Rep. Peters’ third bill to become law this Congress. It follows his Advanced Reactor Fee Reduction Act and his Global Nuclear Energy Assessment and Cooperation Act, which became law as part of the ADVANCE Act in July.

Rep. Peters Peters has been a leader on permitting reform and the broader discussion on combatting climate change. Since joining Congress in 2013, he has authored and passed consequential climate legislation including the POWER ON Act, USEIT Act, and the American Innovation and Manufacturing Leadership Act that became law through a historic energy package in 2020, as well as a resolution to restore robust regulations on methane pollution that was signed into law in 2021. He is also the author of the SPEED and Reliability Act and BIG WIRES Act, legislation to expedite and encourage the buildout of long-distance electrical transmission lines that are essential to our clean energy future.

Click here for a summary of the Building Chips in America Act. Click here for the full bill text.  

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