Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act

The Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act would require the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to publish an annual, publicly accessible report on NEPA reviews and related litigation. Starting July 1, 2025, the CEQ must post the report on its website and transmit it to two Senate/House committees. The report has four main focus areas: (1) active NEPA-based causes of action (lawsuits) from the prior year, with detailed case information; (2) metrics on the length of environmental impact statements (EIS) and environmental assessments (EA) over a five-year window; (3) total costs to prepare EIS/EA, including personnel and contractor costs; and (4) timelines for completing NEPA reviews over a ten-year window, including key milestones from application submission to record of decision and project go-ahead. The data are to be disaggregated by project type/sector (e.g., energy, transportation, broadband, etc.) and CEQ must publish underlying data to support the reports. The bill thus focuses on transparency and accountability in NEPA processes and litigation, with a strong emphasis on data-driven insights.