Includes needed permitting and process review reforms, provides regulatory certainty, and expedites permitting of key projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) joined Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and 40 of their Republican colleagues to introduce the Simplify Timelines and Assure Regulatory Transparency (START) Act,  comprehensive federal regulatory permitting and project review reform legislation.

“The Biden administration has made it nearly impossible to advance critical energy, infrastructure, and natural resource projects, and Idahoans are paying for it each time they fill up at the pump or visit the grocery store,” said Risch. “Comprehensive permitting reform will secure our domestic energy supply, ease the blow to Idahoans’ bank accounts, and bring us one step closer to fixing the supply chains this administration has so badly broken.”

“It’s past time to cut the onerous red tape delaying key energy and infrastructure projects across the country,” Crapo said.  “The START Act takes a page from Idaho’s playbook, eliminating unnecessary burdens to provide regulatory certainty to states, expedite permitting and codify regulatory reforms.”

“Since our calls for action and offers to see legislative text from the permitting ‘deal’ remain unheeded, Republicans are introducing this legislation today to deliver solutions to the roadblocks, delays, and postponements of key infrastructure projects across the country,” Capito said. “The START Act would provide regulatory certainty to states, expedite permitting and review processes, codify substantive environmental regulatory reforms, and expedite permitting of the critically important Mountain Valley Pipeline. Republicans are unified in working to deliver needed permitting reform, and this legislation is a blueprint for how we can help communities benefit from being able to finally get critical projects across the finish line.”

A full list of cosponsors can be found here.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

A section-by-section summary can be found here.

BACKGROUND:

Since his first day in office, President Biden has limited and canceled critical energy and natural resources projects, such as shutting down construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and walking back modernizations to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process.

Democrats passed legislation that will raise taxes and spend hundreds of billions of dollars in exchange for a promise of permitting reform, but they have yet to release text to the public. Meanwhile, Republicans have offered solutions to improve energy, infrastructure and supply chains immediately.  

Senators Risch and Crapo supported an amendment filed by Senator Capito during debate of the reconciliation bill that would have reformed burdensome regulations currently delaying key energy and infrastructure projects across the country. The amendment failed by a vote of 49-50, with all 50 Senate Democrats voting against it. Senators Risch and Crapo have also joined legislation to reject the Obama-era Waters of the United States rule, continue the Keystone XL Pipeline, and actively manage Idaho’s forests.