Bipartisan Senate Committee Leaders Release Permitting Reform Text

Highlights

• A bipartisan group of U.S. Senate committee leaders introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 on September 30, 2026. The proposal combines broad reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Federal Power Act and National Historic Preservation Act, with targeted changes affecting transmission, generation, geothermal, hydropower, mining and offshore energy.
• The legislation would exempt many activities from NEPA requirements, streamline permitting processes, increase durability by providing project certainty once federal permits are issued, impose new agency decision deadlines, narrow several judicial review windows to 150 days, favor remand without vacatur when courts identify deficiencies, and create new remedies when agencies improperly suspend permits or treat particular classes of energy projects differently.