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# Summary of S. 5323 — UNSHACKLE Act This bill significantly reforms the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which governs environmental review of federal projects. The legislation imposes strict time limits requiring federal agencies to complete the full NEPA process within two years, with initial environmental documents due within one year. Agencies that miss these deadlines face automatic budget cuts of 0.5 percent for each 90-day period of non-compliance, with no restoration of those funds even if the project is eventually approved. The bill prohibits federal agencies from considering climate change impacts or greenhouse gas emissions during NEPA reviews and limits environmental documents to 150 pages for most projects and 300 pages for complex ones. It allows project sponsors to prepare environmental documents with agency oversight, permits agencies to reuse previous environmental analyses, and requires federal permits to be automatically approved if not issued or denied within 90 days, with applicants reimbursed their fees. The legislation creates a new state program allowing states to assume federal NEPA responsibilities for projects within their borders through written agreements lasting up to five years. It also raises the bar for challenging projects in court by requiring plaintiffs to prove "clear and convincing evidence" of irreparable harm and limiting lawsuits to 150 days after final agency action. Additionally, the bill eliminates attorney fee awards in environmental litigation cases based on expertise in that field. These changes primarily affect project developers, environmental organizations, states, and federal land management agencies.

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