Sec. 31102. Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center

760 words·~3 min read·/bill/114/hr/22/eas/section-31102

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Subchapter I of chapter 3, as amended by sections 31104 and 31106 of this Act, is further amended by adding after section 311 the following: There is established in the Office of the Secretary an Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center (referred to in this section as the Center ). The Center shall report to the chair of the Steering Committee described in paragraph

(2)to ensure that the perspectives of all member agencies are represented. An Infrastructure Permitting Steering Committee (referred to in this section as the Steering Committee ) is established to oversee the work of the Center. The Steering Committee shall be chaired by the Federal Chief Performance Officer in consultation with the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and shall be comprised of Deputy-level representatives from the following departments and agencies: The Department of Defense. The Department of the Interior. The Department of Agriculture. The Department of Commerce. The Department of Transportation. The Department of Energy. The Department of Homeland Security. The Environmental Protection Agency. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Department of the Army. The Department of Housing and Urban Development. Other agencies the Chair of the Steering Committee invites to participate. The Center shall support the Chair of the Steering Committee and undertake the following: Coordinate and support implementation of priority reform actions for Federal agency permitting and reviews for areas as defined and identified by the Steering Committee. Support modernization efforts at Federal agencies and interagency pilots for innovative approaches to the permitting and review of infrastructure projects. Provide technical assistance and training to field and headquarters staff of Federal agencies on policy changes, innovative approaches to project delivery, and other topics as appropriate. Identify, develop, and track metrics for timeliness of permit reviews, permit decisions, and project outcomes. Administer and expand the use of online transparency tools providing for— tracking and reporting of metrics; development and posting of schedules for permit reviews and permit decisions; and sharing of best practices related to efficient project permitting and reviews. Provide reporting to the President on progress toward achieving greater efficiency in permitting decisions and review of infrastructure projects and progress toward achieving better outcomes for communities and the environment. Meet not less frequently than annually with groups or individuals representing State, Tribal, and local governments that are engaged in the infrastructure permitting process. The Center shall support process improvements in the permitting and review of infrastructure projects in the following sectors: Surface transportation. Aviation. Ports and waterways. Water resource projects. Renewable energy generation. Electricity transmission. Broadband. Pipelines. Other sectors, as determined by the Steering Committee. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015 , the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other Federal agencies on the Steering Committee with responsibility for the review and approval of infrastructure projects sectors described in subsection (b)(4), shall evaluate and report on— the progress made toward aligning Federal reviews of such projects and the improvement of project delivery associated with those projects; and the effectiveness of the Center in achieving reduction of permitting time and project delivery time. Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary of Transportation establishes performance measures in accordance with paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish performance targets relating to each of the measures and standards described in subparagraphs

(A)and

(B)of paragraph (1). Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015 and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that describes— the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1); and the progress towards achieving the targets established under paragraph (2). Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015 , the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation shall submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that describes— the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1); and the progress towards achieving the targets established under paragraph (2). . The table of contents of chapter 3, as amended by sections 31104 and 31106 of this Act, is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 311 the following: 312. Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center. .