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119-s-4795119th CongressWALLET

FREEDOM Act

Sponsored By: Senator Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create enforceable federal authorization timelines to speed environmental reviews and permit decisions for major energy and geothermal projects and limit legal delays through an expedited judicial pathway.

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  • Project sponsors and developers would submit a notice of initiation and can expect routine authorizations within 90 days, complex authorizations within 1 year, and environmental impact statement dependent decisions within 2 years.
  • Lead agencies would have to determine completeness in 30 days and publish project schedules within 30 days after that, classify authorizations as routine or complex, and face judicial remedies if they miss deadlines.
  • Courts would run accelerated reviews with limited discovery and may authorize qualified contractors to finish administrative records with costs paid from a Permitting Performance Fund; geothermal changes add a 60-day rule for certain approvals, a Geothermal Ombudsman and Task Force, cost recovery through FY2033, updated royalties (1.0–2.5% for first 10 years, 2.0–5.0% after), and hardrock mill sites may be authorized up to 5 acres per location under approved plans.

*Establishes a Permitting Performance Fund with an initial $50.0 million capitalization and authorizes ongoing appropriations and reimbursements for court-authorized contractor work.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Faster energy project permitting

If enacted, the bill would set firm federal timelines for covered energy project permits. Sponsors would file a Notice of Initiation and agencies must decide completeness within 30 days. Routine approvals would be due in 90 days, complex approvals in 1 year, and EIS-dependent decisions in 2 years. Courts would get an expedited review track, could order agencies to act, and could authorize contractors to finish records. A Permitting Performance Fund would start with $50 million to pay court-approved contractor costs.

Royalties on geothermal electricity

If enacted, geothermal electric facilities (not direct-use) would pay a royalty on electricity sales. For each year of the first 10 years after a plant starts the royalty would be 1.0% to 2.5% of gross proceeds. For each year after those first 10 years the royalty would be 2.0% to 5.0% of gross proceeds.

Geothermal fees, oversight, and report

If enacted, the Secretary could require geothermal lease applicants and holders to reimburse reasonable permit, inspection, and monitoring costs through Sept 30, 2033. The Secretary could reduce fees for economic hardship or cost-share agreements. The Interior would appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman and a Permitting Task Force within 60 days and update the Bureau's Gold Book guidance. The Secretary must post a public report within five years on how the cost-recovery rule affected the geothermal program.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

AR • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 6/16/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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