Overview
Title
To amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to require the Council on Environmental Quality to publish an annual report on environmental reviews and causes of action based on alleged non-compliance with that Act, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
S. 1191 wants the government to write a yearly report about how well they're taking care of the environment and following the rules. This report will be like a big check-up to make sure everything is going as it should and to tell everyone what they find out.
Summary AI
S. 1191 proposes amendments to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, mandating that the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) publishes an annual report about the environmental reviews and legal actions taken due to alleged non-compliance with the Act. Starting July 1, 2025, this report would detail every case of alleged non-compliance, the associated legal entities, outcomes, and financial costs. It aims to enhance transparency by providing information on the length and cost of environmental impact statements and the timelines involved. The bill emphasizes making all data publicly available, ensuring that the process remains transparent and accountable.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
Summary of the Bill
S. 1191, titled the "Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act," aims to amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The bill mandates that the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) publishes an annual report detailing the impact of environmental reviews on various projects. Starting in July 2025, this report will include data on legal actions, lengths and costs of environmental assessments, and timelines for their completion. The information will be disaggregated by project type and sector to provide granular insights into NEPA’s role in project executions.
Significant Issues
A prominent issue with the bill is the sheer depth and detail of data collection required for the annual report. The comprehensiveness stipulates collecting and managing extensive datasets across numerous categories, which could prove resource-intensive. The requirement might demand significant resource allocation, potentially resulting in inefficient spending unless managed carefully.
Another concern is the complexity of the language used in the reporting requirements, particularly in subsections detailing the types of data to be collected and reported. This complexity may cause confusion during implementation if not accompanied by clear guidelines.
Moreover, the flexibility provided in allowing the CEQ to determine new sectors for reporting could lead to ambiguity. This open-ended power grants the CEQ considerable discretion, potentially raising questions regarding oversight and how sectors might be added or defined.
The requirement for making underlying data public may introduce privacy and confidentiality challenges. While increasing transparency, this could raise ethical and legal concerns if sensitive data is disclosed.
Potential Public Impact
Broadly, the bill seeks to enhance transparency and understanding of NEPA's impact on various projects, potentially fostering better-informed public policy and decision-making. The extensive reporting might allow for identifying inefficiencies and delays due to environmental assessments, encouraging efforts to streamline processes and reduce unnecessary bureaucratic burdens.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For governmental bodies, particularly the CEQ and related agencies, the bill introduces significant administrative responsibilities. The detailed data gathering and reporting necessitate substantial resource investment, potentially stressing existing budgets and human resources.
Environmental and legal advocacy groups might appreciate the increased transparency and availability of data. The detailed insights could support their efforts to monitor compliance and enforce environmental protections.
Conversely, project developers in sectors like energy, transportation, and manufacturing may face prolonged timelines due to the thorough reporting process, potentially impacting project planning and execution. However, clearer insights into potential delays and legal challenges might also assist in better project preparation and risk management.
Overall, while the bill aims for heightened transparency and accountability in environmental assessments, its implementation could present substantial logistical challenges and would require careful execution to realize its intended benefits.
Issues
The requirement in SEC. 2 subsection (b) for comprehensive annual reporting by the Council may lead to significant resource allocation challenges, potentially resulting in wasteful spending if not managed properly. This has financial implications as it involves extensive data collection and management across numerous factors.
The language in SEC. 2 subsection (b)(2) and subsection (c) regarding report requirements is complex and detailed, which might cause confusion or implementation difficulties without clear procedural guidelines. This could be problematic politically and administratively.
The provision in SEC. 2 subsection (c)(1)(O) allowing the Council to determine 'any other sector' introduces ambiguity, as it gives the Council broad discretion without clear parameters or criteria, potentially raising legal and political concerns about oversight and accountability.
The requirement to publish underlying data and citations for public availability in SEC. 2 subsection (d) raises potential privacy and confidentiality concerns, especially if sensitive data is involved. This is important for ethical and legal reasons.
The provision in SEC. 2 subsection (b)(1)(D)(vi) involving the reference to 'section 2412 of title 28, United States Code' assumes familiarity with the U.S. Code, which might be challenging for the general public to understand without further explanation, raising potential legal and public accessibility issues.
The need to report disaggregated data by defendant lead agency, subagency, type, and sector as detailed in SEC. 2 subsection (c)(2) necessitates a complex data collection system, increasing administrative costs and possibly leading to inefficiencies.
The coordination required among multiple agencies as described in SEC. 2 could create inefficiencies, impacting the bill’s political and administrative feasibility.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
This section specifies the short title of the Act, stating that it may be referred to as the "Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act."
2. CEQ annual report on NEPA’s impact on projects Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill amends the National Environmental Policy Act to require the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to publish an annual report starting in 2025. This report will detail the impact of environmental reviews on projects by tracking legal actions, analyzing the length and cost of environmental assessments, and noting timelines for completing these assessments, all disaggregated by project type and sector.
201. CEQ annual report Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section requires the Council to publish an annual report starting July 1, 2025, detailing legal actions related to the Act, information about environmental impact statements and assessments, including page counts, costs, and timelines, as well as a list of categorical exclusions by federal agencies. The report must be broken down by project type and industry sector, with all data used to be made publicly available.