Eric Beightel, Executive Director, Federal Permitting Improvement
Steering Council
The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council)
was established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation Act (FAST-41), charged with improving the transparency
and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization
process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting
Council is comprised of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who
serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency council members
(including deputy secretary-level designees of the Secretaries of
Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior, Energy, Transportation, Defense,
Homeland Security, and Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairs of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation); and the Chair of the Council
on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget.
The Permitting Council coordinates federal environmental reviews and
authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for
FAST-41 coverage.
FAST-41 covered projects are entitled to
comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative
management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
FAST-41 covered projects may be in the
renewable or conventional energy production, electricity transmission,
energy storage, surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways,
water resource, broadband, pipelines, manufacturing, mining, carbon
capture, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning,
high-performance computing and advanced computer hardware and software,
quantum information science and technology, data storage and data
management, and cybersecurity sectors.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Full committee
markup
of Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education,
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Agriculture, Rural
Development, and Food and Drug Administration Bills and Revised
Subcommittee Allocations.
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
This is a
hearing
of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Witnesses:
Dillon Olvera, President and Chief Executive Officer, Modesto and
Empire Traction Company; on behalf of the American Short Line and
Regional Railroad Association
Roger Nober, Director of GW Regulatory Studies Center and Professor of
Practice at the Trachtenberg School, George Washington University
Ural Yal, Senior Vice President – Corporate Preconstruction Group,
Flatiron Construction; on behalf of the Associated General Contractors
of California
Heather Arias, Chief, Transportation and Toxics Division, California
Air Resources Board
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee
On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative
hearing
on the following bills:
Discussion Draft of H.R.
___
(Rep. Westerman), “ESA Amendments Act of 2024,” to codify Trump
administration rollbacks of the Endangered Species Act;
H.R.
7544
(Rep. Maloy), “Water Rights Protection Act of 2024”, to ensure that
federal action imposes no greater restriction or regulatory
requirement on water rights than under applicable state water law;
H.R.
8308
(Rep. Harder), “Nutria Eradication and Control Reauthorization Act of
2024”; and
On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a
legislative
hearing
on the following bills:
H.R.
3283
(Rep. Miller-Meeks), “Facilitating the Deployment of Infrastructure
with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act” or the
“Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act”,
requires the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration to periodically report on the development of online
portals for processing communications use authorizations.
Communications use authorizations are requests for easements,
rights-of-way, leases, licenses, or other authorizations to locate or
modify a transmitting device, support structure, or other
communications facility on public lands or National Forest System
land;
H.R.
3299
(Rep. Cammack), “Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet
Transactions And Legacy Applications Act” or the “DIGITAL Applications
Act”, requires the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service
to each establish an online portal for processing communications use
authorizations;
H.R.
5401
(Rep. D’Esposito), “9/11 Memorial and Museum Act”;
H.R.
6012
(Rep. Carbajal), “Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2023”, to
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit removal of trees
around electrical lines on National Forest System land without
conducting a timber sale;
H.R.
7976
Rep. Holmes Norton), “Civil War Defenses of Washington National
Historical Park Act”; and
H.R.
8012
(Rep. Waltz), “Jackie Robinson Commemorative Site Act.”
Chris French, Deputy Chief – National Forest System, U.S. Forest
Service, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 3283, H.R. 3299, H.R. 6012]
Mike Caldwell, Associate Director – Park Planning, Facilities, and
Lands, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 3283, H.R. 3299,
H.R. 5401, H.R. 7976, H.R. 8012]
Joe Quinn, Visionary Network Member, National September 11 Memorial &
Museum, New York City, New York [H.R. 5401]
Michael Romano, Executive Vice President,
NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association,
Arlington, Virginia [H.R. 3283, H.R. 3299]
Jim Jaworski, General Manager, Daytona Tortugas, Daytona Beach,
Florida [H.R. 8012]
H.J.Res.
148,
Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Treasury
related to “Clean Vehicle Credits Under Sections 25E and 30D; Transfer
of Credits; Critical Minerals and Battery Components; Foreign Entities
of Concern”
Full Committee
markup
of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Bill for FY 2025, the Full Committee Markup of
the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for
FY 2025, and the Full Committee Markup of the
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
for FY 2025.
H.R. 8281 – Safeguard
American Voter Eligibility Act
H.J. Res. 165 –
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5,
United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of
Education relating to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance.
H.R. 7637 – Refrigerator
Freedom Act, to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from prescribing or
enforcing energy conservation standards for refrigerators,
refrigerator-freezers, and freezers that are not cost-effective or
technologically feasible
H.R. 7700 – Stop
Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act, to prohibit the Secretary of
Energy from prescribing or enforcing energy conservation standards for
dishwashers that are not cost-effective or technologically feasible