Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, 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.
The CERTAIN Act streamlines the federal authorization process for projects by establishing strict timelines and procedural requirements for agency decisions. Federal agencies must document application receipt within 14 days, determine completeness within 30 days, and applications are automatically deemed complete if agencies fail to properly document deficiencies; agencies must also notify applicants within 30 days whether environmental reviews are required and provide written explanations for any denials. The bill designates a lead agency to coordinate environmental reviews with other "participating agencies," requiring a single environmental document within 90 days and concurrent agency reviews where possible. For permit decisions, routine authorizations must be approved within 30 days and complex authorizations within 6 months to 2 years depending on environmental review requirements, with automatic approval or immediate public notification if deadlines are missed. The legislation also provides expedited judicial review with 90-day court decision timelines and presumes agency actions unlawfully delayed if statutory deadlines are exceeded, allowing courts to compel corrective agency action.
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