§ 4336d. E-NEPA

Statutory text

Permitting portal study

The Council on Environmental Quality shall conduct a study and submit a report to Congress within 1 year of the enactment of this Act 1 on the potential for online and digital technologies to address delays in reviews and improve public accessibility and transparency under section 4332(2)(C) of this title including, but not limited to, a unified permitting portal that would—

allow applicants to—

submit required documents or materials for their project in one unified portal;

upload and collaborate with the applicable agencies to edit documents in real-time, as required;

upload and display visual features such as video, animation, geographic information system displays, and three-dimensional renderings; and

track the progress of individual applications;

include a cloud based, digital tool for more complex reviews that would enhance interagency coordination in consultation by—

centralizing, across all necessary agencies, the data, visuals, and documents, including but not limited to geographic information system displays, other visual renderings, and completed reports and analyses necessary for reviews;

streamlining communications between all necessary agencies and the applicant;

allowing for comments and responses by and to all necessary agencies in one unified portal;

generating analytical reports to aid in organizing and cataloguing public comments; and

be 2 accessible on mobile devices;

boost transparency in agency processes and present information suitable for a lay audience, including but not limited to—

scientific data and analysis; and

anticipated agency process and timeline; and

include examples describing how at least five permits would be reviewed and processed through this portal.

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for the Council on Environmental Quality to carry out the study directed by this section.

Footnotes

1 See References in Text note below.
2 So in original. Probably should be “being”.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

2023
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Pub. L. 91–190 title I § 110 · 83 Stat. 852
Enacted · 42 U.S.C. § 4336d
(Pub. L. 91–190, title I, § 110, as added Pub. L. 118–5, div. C, title III, § 321(b), June 3, 2023, 137 Stat. 44.)
Source evidence
Code source credit
(Pub. L. 91–190, title I, § 110, as added Pub. L. 118–5, div. C, title III, § 321(b), June 3, 2023, 137 Stat. 44.)

0 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The enactment of this Act, referred to in subsec. (a), probably means the enactment of Pub. L. 118–5, which added this section to title I of Pub. L. 91–190 and was approved June 3, 2023.

Credits

(Pub. L. 91–190, title I, § 110, as added Pub. L. 118–5, div. C, title III, § 321(b), June 3, 2023, 137 Stat. 44.)