[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                  S. 3

  To improve the environmental review process for Federal-aid highway 
     projects through the use of interactive, digital, cloud-based 
                   platforms, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 17, 2022

  Ms. Lummis (for herself, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Ossoff) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve the environmental review process for Federal-aid highway 
     projects through the use of interactive, digital, cloud-based 
                   platforms, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Interactive Federal Review Act''.

SEC. 2. DIGITAL PLATFORMS FOR NEPA REVIEWS FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--In order to expedite the environmental review 
process at Federal agencies and for the general public, and to 
facilitate interactive public stakeholder engagement and understanding 
of environmental impacts of projects under the Federal-aid highway 
system, the Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as 
the ``Secretary'') shall--
            (1) encourage recipients of Federal highway funding to 
        utilize interactive, digital, cloud-based platforms when 
        carrying out environmental reviews under the National 
        Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) by 
        publishing the guidance described in subsection (b)(1); and
            (2) select not less than 10 Federal-aid highway projects to 
        demonstrate the use of interactive, digital, cloud-based 
        platforms in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and 
        community engagement processes required under that Act, which 
        may include projects in States participating in the surface 
        transportation project delivery program under section 327 of 
        title 23, United States Code.
    (b) Administration.--
            (1) Guidance.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish technology-
        neutral best practice guidance to encourage sponsors of 
        projects that receive Federal funds from the Secretary to use 
        an interactive, digital, cloud-based platform in carrying out 
        the environmental impact analysis and community engagement 
        processes required under the National Environmental Policy Act 
        of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
            (2) Reports.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
                submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
                of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
                on the efficacy of using interactive, cloud-based 
                platforms in carrying out environmental impact analysis 
                and community engagement requirements under the 
                National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
                4321 et seq.), including--
                            (i) metrics that describe estimates of 
                        achieved efficiencies, community engagement 
                        measures, and efficiencies enjoyed across 
                        Federal agencies; and
                            (ii) examples of digital workflows enabled.
                    (B) Publication of examples.--Not later than 1 year 
                after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
                shall publish on the website of the Department of 
                Transportation, and submit to the Committee on 
                Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the 
                Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
                House of Representatives, not less than 5 examples of 
                an environmental impact statement, environmental 
                assessment, or categorical exclusion document developed 
                using an interactive, digital, cloud-based platform.
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