A bipartisan group of senators are pushing for a new modernized and digital environmental permitting system under a legislative proposal introduced Tuesday.
Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., are leading the ePermit Act to create a cloud-based permit portal and require federal agencies to leverage standardized data systems for environmental reviews.
The portal would allow applicants to submit and track applications, see project status updates, access timelines and other metadata, and view public notices and community engagement opportunities, according to the bill’s text.
It would also support real-time analytics that track processing timelines, progress toward efficiency goals, and compliance with standards. Other features would include interactive documents, collaboration, visualization, and 3D models.
“Outdated, paper-based permitting systems slow down projects, frustrate communities, and make it harder for agencies to do their jobs,” Curtis said in a statement. “Our bipartisan legislation brings federal environmental reviews into the 21st century by improving transparency, coordination, and public engagement without weakening critical environmental standards.”
Under the proposal, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) would work with the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, the Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop common data standards that would enable consistent sharing and interpretation of data.
Those standards would also aim to reduce the need for redundant environmental reviews, improve data interoperability and workflow automation, and enable automatic data exchange between federal agencies, according to the bill.
The chief environmental review officer, along with agency CIOs and permitting officials, would be required to submit semiannual reports to CEQ and OMB detailing their progress in implementing the new data standards and data-sharing requirements.
A companion bill to the ePermit Act – led by Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Scott Peters, D-Calif. – passed the House last fall.
Curtis and Booker’s proposal received support from bipartisan co-sponsors, including Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Steve Daines, R-Mont., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Ted Budd, R-N.C.
“In the 21st century, it should be a no-brainer to use modern digital technology instead of pencils and paper to streamline and centralize our permitting process,” Booker said. “Making the government run more effectively and efficiently to deliver for communities is something both parties can get behind, and I’m proud that Democrats and Republicans are coming together to make our government work better for all Americans.”
The bill builds on priorities outlined by the White House. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the CEQ to lead efforts to “apply modern technologies” to environmental review and permitting processes.
That order stated that, “The Government does not properly leverage technology to effectively and efficiently evaluate environmental permits, causing significant delay to important infrastructure projects that impact our economic well-being.”