ARTBA Joins House Chair in Pushing For Permitting Reform

What happened: House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), top photo, along with leaders from ARTBA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other industry groups gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 7 to build momentum for federal permitting reform legislation.

“In December, the House acted in a bipartisan way, and we passed the SPEED Act,” Westerman said as he kicked off the press conference. “The bill includes language supported by members on both sides of the aisle…Now it’s time for the Senate to act.”

Why it matters: The SPEED Act clarifies which federal actions are subject to NEPA and what information agencies should include in environmental reviews. The bill also includes reforms recommended in ARTBA’s reauthorization report, such as adding procedural guardrails to judicial review. The changes would speed project delivery by eliminating redundancies and giving project sponsors transparency and additional control over review timelines.

“Like many things, transportation projects cost more than they used to, and these increases are straining budgets at all levels of government,” ARTBA CEO Dave Bauer, bottom photo, told those in attendance. “While there are many factors behind recent cost increases, the one area we can absolutely control, is our self-imposed regulatory process.”

What’s next: It is unclear if the Senate will take up the bill or advance its own permitting legislation. The upcoming reauthorization of surface transportation programs due Sept. 30 also offers an opportunity to advance reforms.