U.S. House Approves Key Permitting Reform Bill

Before departing for their holiday break, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives approved permitting reform legislation on a bipartisan 221-196 vote. Known as the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, the bill would:

• Shorten timelines for environmental reviews;
• Modernize judicial review processes;
• Clarify the definition of major federal actions that would trigger additional permitting requirements;
• Prevent duplicative reviews; and
• Expand the use of categorical exclusions, and more.

The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate where it faces steep odds. Specifically, Republican leaders will need to attract the support of at least seven Democrats to overcome a potential filibuster. The Metals Service Center Institute has a long history of supporting permitting reform legislation. (Member company employees can watch our December webinar with Toby Mack on the issue by visiting our webinar library.)

Why does MSCI support this bill? Because permitting delays often stall projects for years, driving up costs for consumers and businesses and hindering economic growth. Reforming these processes is essential to building the infrastructure that the business community needs to function. Permitting reform also would improve Americans’ quality of life and increase demand for industrial metals.