Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
H.R. 6327, the Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act, exempts rural housing assistance programs from certain environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Specifically, the bill allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide housing construction and modification assistance on "infill sites"—developed areas served by existing water, sewer, and road infrastructure—without triggering lengthy NEPA environmental impact reviews. The exemption applies to six existing rural housing programs under the Housing Act of 1949 and is designed to speed up project approval and reduce administrative costs for affordable housing development in rural areas, though it explicitly excludes new development on undeveloped land, high-risk wildfire or flood zones, and greenfield sites. The bill requires the Agriculture Secretary to report back to Congress within five years on whether the exemption actually reduced review times and costs and how it has affected rural affordable housing. The exemption does not override other environmental or safety laws, meaning projects would still need to comply with other federal, state, and local requirements.
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