Protect American AI Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
Introduced
Summary
Stops courts from vacating permits for data centers and funnels legal challenges into a fast, limited appellate track that sends problems back to agencies to fix instead of invalidating approvals. The bill defines covered applications, data centers, and covered infrastructure and creates a special review process for environmental claims tied to those projects.
Show full summary
- Data center developers and operators would face fewer court-ordered delays because permits, licenses, or approvals remain effective even if a court finds a review violated environmental law. Challenges must be heard on an expedited schedule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit where the project sits.
- Federal agencies would be required to accept remands to correct legal problems while continuing to process covered applications. The bill also requires transfer of eligible pending petitions so they are decided under this new framework.
- Environmental groups and local communities would have tighter windows and venues for suing. Claims to review a federal permit must be filed within 90 days after final notice in the Federal Register and are limited to the appellate route established by the bill.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Faster court review for data centers
This bill would create a fast, special review process for federal permits for data centers and infrastructure that supports them. It would give original, exclusive jurisdiction to the U.S. court of appeals in the circuit where the project will be located and require expedited handling. Challenges would generally have to be filed within 90 days after a final notice in the Federal Register. If a court finds a violation of listed environmental laws, the court would remand the matter to the agency and not vacate the permit, and the agency would keep processing covered applications while it fixes the problem. Applicants could ask to transfer existing petitions to the local appeals court under these rules. The bill would not create a new general right to sue or stop claims that a permit's terms were violated.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
WA • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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