Sec. 41009. Funding for governance, oversight, and processing of environmental reviews and permits
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The heads of agencies listed in section 41002(b)(2)(B), with the guidance of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and in consultation with the Executive Director, may, after public notice and opportunity for comment, issue regulations establishing a fee structure for project proponents to reimburse the United States for reasonable costs incurred in conducting environmental reviews and authorizations for covered projects. As used in this section, the term reasonable costs shall include costs to implement the requirements and authorities required under sections 41002 and 41003, including the costs to agencies and the costs of operating the Council.
The fee structure established under subsection
(a)shall— be developed in consultation with affected project proponents, industries, and other stakeholders; exclude parties for which the fee would impose an undue financial burden or is otherwise determined to be inappropriate; and be established in a manner that ensures that the aggregate amount of fees collected for a fiscal year is estimated not to exceed 20 percent of the total estimated costs for the fiscal year for the resources allocated for the conduct of the environmental reviews and authorizations covered by this title, as determined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. All amounts collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into a separate fund in the Treasury of the United States to be known as the Environmental Review Improvement Fund (referred to in this section as the Fund ). Amounts in the Fund shall be available to the Executive Director, without appropriation or fiscal year limitation, solely for the purposes of administering, implementing, and enforcing this title, including the expenses of the Council. The Executive Director, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, may transfer amounts in the Fund to other agencies to facilitate timely and efficient environmental reviews and authorizations for proposed covered projects. The regulations adopted pursuant to subsection
(a)shall ensure that the use of funds accepted under subsection
(d)will not impact impartial decision-making with respect to environmental reviews or authorizations, either substantively or procedurally. The heads of agencies listed in section 41002(b)(2)(B) shall have the authority to transfer, in accordance with section 1535 of title 31, United States Code, funds appropriated to those agencies and not otherwise obligated to other affected Federal agencies for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this title. Appropriations under title 23, United States Code and appropriations for the civil works program of the Army Corps of Engineers shall not be available for transfer under paragraph (1).