American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Armstrong, Alan [R-OK]
Introduced
Summary
Centralize FERC as the lead NEPA reviewer and speed federal permitting for natural gas and linear energy projects. This bill would make the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the sole NEPA lead for Natural Gas Act sections 3 and 7 reviews, impose strict concurrent-review schedules, tighten Clean Water Act Section 401 certification rules, expand nationwide permits for linear projects and pipelines, and narrow judicial remedies and standing rules to constrain litigation timelines.
Show full summary
- Project developers and energy companies would get faster, more predictable permit timetables under a FERC-led NEPA process with a 90-day deadline for federal authorizations after NEPA and a project-wide concurrency target of 270 days with one 60-day extension.
- State agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency would face new written certification and receipt rules under CWA Section 401, a general 1 year action deadline after receipt that can be deemed a waiver, and a limited standard for FERC to adopt proposed water-quality conditions only on clear and convincing evidence.
- Courts, permit challengers, and communities would encounter tightened standing and review limits, with filing deadlines such as 60 days for many permit challenges and 150 days for NEPA final actions, a preference for remand over vacatur, and higher evidence standards for denials or injunctions.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Faster water permits for projects
This bill would tighten Clean Water Act Section 401 rules so certifiers must identify missing materials within 90 days and generally act within one year or be deemed to have waived certification; that waiver decision would not be reviewable by courts. It would also provide that Section 401 certification is not required for certain covered Federal authorizations. EPA could issue NPDES general permits for up to 10 years and must give 2 years' notice before not reissuing a similar permit; if no notice is given, an expired permit's terms can continue for up to two more years. The Army Corps would have nationwide permits for many linear projects (under 3 acres) and pipelines with up to 0.5-acre losses, and lawsuits over Corps Section 404 actions would generally have to be filed within 60 days and come only from parties that filed detailed public comments.
Faster approval for gas projects
This bill would make FERC the lead agency for NEPA reviews of Natural Gas Act projects and set one coordinated review schedule. Agencies would aim to finish concurrent reviews within 270 days, with a single 60-day extension allowed, and FERC would publish progress at least every 90 days. NEPA lawsuits would generally have to be filed within 150 days, and courts would remand problems without vacating authorizations while giving agencies up to 180 days to fix them. Agencies would have to accept aerial or remote surveys unless clear evidence shows they are wrong, and applicants could pay third parties to assist reviews.
New mill site rules and mine fund
This bill would let lode or placer claim holders include as many mill sites as reasonably needed in a plan of operations, but each mill site could not exceed 5 acres, could not convey mineral rights, and could not be patented. It would also create an Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund in the Treasury to receive claim maintenance fees on mill sites and allow those funds to be spent without further appropriations to carry out specified mine-reclamation activities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Armstrong, Alan [R-OK]
OK • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]
WY • R
Sponsored 6/24/2026
Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
FL • R
Sponsored 6/24/2026
Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
AL • R
Sponsored 6/24/2026
Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
OK • R
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
AR • R
Sponsored 7/28/2026
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
AK • R
Sponsored 7/28/2026
Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
PA • R
Sponsored 7/28/2026
Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 7/29/2026
Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 7/29/2026
Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]
MT • R
Sponsored 8/4/2026
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
TN • R
Sponsored 8/5/2026
Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
MT • R
Sponsored 8/5/2026
Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
LA • R
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 8/7/2026
Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
MS • R
Sponsored 8/7/2026
Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 8/7/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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