42 U.S.C. § 4336d: E-nepa

Summary

The Council on Environmental Quality must study and report to Congress within 1 year on how online tools could speed up environmental reviews and make them more open and easy for the public to use. The study must look at a single online permitting portal where applicants can submit all required materials, work with agencies in real time, upload videos and maps and 3‑D views, and track their application. The portal should include a cloud tool for complex, multiagency reviews that brings together data and visuals from all needed agencies, simplifies communication, lets agencies comment in one place, makes reports to sort public comments, and works on mobile devices. It must show clear scientific info and expected timelines and give examples of how at least five permits would be handled. Congress authorized $500,000 for the study.

Title 42, §4336d

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Permitting portal study

The Council on Environmental Quality shall conduct a study and submit a report to Congress within 1 year of the enactment of this Act on the potential for online and digital technologies to address delays in reviews and improve public accessibility and transparency under section 4332(2)(C) of this title including, but not limited to, a unified permitting portal that would—

(1)allow applicants to—

(A)submit required documents or materials for their project in one unified portal;

(B)upload and collaborate with the applicable agencies to edit documents in real-time, as required;

(C)upload and display visual features such as video, animation, geographic information system displays, and three-dimensional renderings; and

(D)track the progress of individual applications;

(2)include a cloud based, digital tool for more complex reviews that would enhance interagency coordination in consultation by—

(A)centralizing, across all necessary agencies, the data, visuals, and documents, including but not limited to geographic information system displays, other visual renderings, and completed reports and analyses necessary for reviews;

(B)streamlining communications between all necessary agencies and the applicant;

(C)allowing for comments and responses by and to all necessary agencies in one unified portal;

(D)generating analytical reports to aid in organizing and cataloguing public comments; and

(E)be accessible on mobile devices;

(3)boost transparency in agency processes and present information suitable for a lay audience, including but not limited to—

(A)scientific data and analysis; and

(B)anticipated agency process and timeline; and

(4)include examples describing how at least five permits would be reviewed and processed through this portal.

(b)Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for the Council on Environmental Quality to carry out the study directed by this section.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The enactment of this Act, referred to in subsec. (a), probably means the enactment of Pub. L. 118–5, which added this section to title I of Pub. L. 91–190 and was approved June 3, 2023.

§4336d E-nepa

Summary

Title 42, §4336d

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Citations & Metadata