§2345 Electronic submission and tracking of permit applications

Summary

The Secretary must build and run an online system so people can fill out and send permit applications and requests for jurisdictional decisions over the Internet. The system must handle several types of filings, including standard individual permits, letters of permission, joint State–Federal permits, emergency permits, jurisdictional determination requests, and preconstruction notifications for nationwide or other general permits. It should fit into existing Corps of Engineers systems when possible. The system must let users prepare forms, send the forms and supporting data by email or other internet methods, get help from an online guide while filling out forms, and track the status of applications (showing if they are pending or final, the decision, past applications in a geographic area, and a map view of the activity). It must protect personal, private, confidential, privileged, and proprietary information and any other information the law bars from release. The Secretary must put the system in place no later than two years after December 23, 2022 (i.e., by December 23, 2024) and must send quarterly progress updates to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. All permit decisions and jurisdictional determinations must be written and include the reasons and supporting documents. The Secretary must keep records of each decision and its supporting documents for at least 5 years and look into how to archive them after that time. These records must be available to the public for review and copying, with the same protections for private or legally protected information. The rules about written decisions, recordkeeping, and public access apply to applications and requests submitted after December 16, 2016. People may still give the Secretary a paper copy of an application or request if they choose.