H.R. 4503 · Passed House · Environmental Protection

ePermit Act

What it does

Requires the Council on Environmental Quality to develop, publish, and update data standards for collecting and organizing environmental review data under NEPA.
Requires CEQ to design, test, and build prototype tools and to issue guidance and minimum functional requirements, including automated data sharing among agencies.
Requires agencies responsible for environmental reviews or authorizations to implement the standards and requirements.
Directs CEQ and agencies to build a unified interagency data system with a shared cloud-based authorization portal, piloting it within a year and implementing it by December 1, 2027, where practicable.

Official summary

ePermit Act This bill establishes requirements related to digitizing environmental reviews conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) must develop, publish, and iteratively update data standards for the collection and curation of certain data related to environmental reviews. CEQ must also design, test, and build prototype tools for environmental reviews. Additionally, CEQ must publish guidance to assist relevant agencies in implementing such standards as well as certain minimum functional requirements, such as data sharing that enables automated transfer of relevant data among federal agencies. Federal agencies responsible for environmental reviews or authorizations must implement the data standards and such minimum functional requirements. To the maximum extent practicable, CEQ and such agencies must iteratively develop and maintain a unified interagency data system consisting of interconnected federal agency systems and shared services for environmental reviews and authorizations, including a common interactive, digital, cloud-based authorization portal. Within a year, CEQ must oversee a pilot of shared…

Latest action

Dec 10, 2025: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works