Press Releases
What They Are Saying: Industry Leaders Express Support for PERMIT Act’s Permitting ReformsWashington, D.C. – Tomorrow, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will consider H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act, led by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins (R-GA) and Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). This legislation cuts red tape, streamlines reviews, and provides greater regulatory certainty under Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting processes. The legislation that the Committee will consider tomorrow at 10:00 AM (ET) is an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to Collins’ PERMIT Act, and it incorporates many separate bills that were previously introduced by Chairman Collins and other T&I Committee members. The provisions of this combined legislation provide targeted, common-sense reforms that will strengthen the permitting process for permit seekers and holders, while providing clearer instruction and standards for permitting agencies. Members of the T&I Committee, in addition to Subcommittee Chairman Collins, that previously introduced legislation and contributed provisions to the bill that will be considered in Committee on Wednesday are Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR), David Rouzer (R-NC), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Burgess Owens (R-UT), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Dave Taylor (R-OH), and Jimmy Patronis (R-FL). The legislation also has the support of Republican House leaders. For summaries of the various bills that are included in the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 3898, click here. Numerous industry leaders and stakeholders have applauded the commonsense permitting reforms included in the legislation and provided the following statements of support for H.R. 3898 and its component provisions. American Cement Association, National Asphalt Pavement Association, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association: “This legislative package offers essential, common-sense reforms that reduce the construction materials industry’s costly and unpredictable permitting delays. These bills protect operators from regulatory overreach and procedural abuse by establishing clear jurisdictional boundaries and predictable timelines, often resulting in unnecessary project slowdowns or cancellations. This certainty is critical to meeting growing national demands for the industries supplying the foundational materials for America’s roads, bridges, energy systems, and other infrastructure. Moreover, these reforms directly support the United States’ broader infrastructure and economic goals. They align with Congress’s bipartisan commitment to rebuild and modernize the nation’s physical assets while strengthening domestic supply chains and creating high-quality jobs.” (read the full letter) American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association: “Clean water is essential to the viability of all agricultural operations and farmers go to great lengths to protect the natural resources they’ve been entrusted with. However, the current permitting framework under the CWA often presents unnecessary delays, regulatory uncertainty, and administrative burdens that hinder agricultural production, conservation, and environmentally beneficial projects. Thoughtful reform is urgently needed to ensure that the permitting process remains both environmentally responsible and efficient.” (read the full letter) American Mosquito Control Association: “This legislation will eliminate costly, duplicative, and unnecessary Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements that impact our members' ability to adequately control mosquitoes…. Requirements related to environmental concerns derive from the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which is the principal statute. While the NPDES permit process amounts to an administrative nightmare, it does not add to or in any way improve the scientific review and approval process that EPA and state lead agencies administer under FIFRA…. NPDES-related complaints in Ohio, Washington, Utah, and Vermont cost thousands of taxpayer dollars without any additional environmental benefit that wasn’t already covered under FIFRA…. It’s time we sunset this duplicative regulation because we’ve demonstrated with over a decade of reporting that these permits are ineffective for protecting the environment, yet highly burdensome for the national public health professionals.” (read the full letter) American Road & Transportation Builders Association: “These reforms collectively offer targeted, practical upgrades to a system that, too often, delays essential transportation projects for little to no environmental value…. If enacted, these bills would not diminish environmental safeguards. Instead, they would modernize the permitting framework by restoring balance, transparency, and certainty needed to deliver projects on time, on budget, and in full compliance with the law.” (read the full letter) Associated General Contractors of America: “[T]hank you for holding today’s markup on legislation to streamline the Clean Water Act (CWA). AGC appreciates the leadership shown by the committee in advancing common sense reforms to improve CWA permitting.” (read the full letter) Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology: “We applaud the Committee for its leadership in advancing this package and recognizing the need to streamline regulatory requirements in a manner that maintains environmental protections while reducing unnecessary red tape. Clarifying that FIFRA-compliant pesticide applications do not require additional NPDES permits under the Clean Water Act is a commonsense solution.” (read the full letter) Florida Mosquito Control Association: “Eliminating the need for an additional NPDES permit reduces administrative costs and paperwork at the state and local levels, freeing up valuable resources that can be redirected to field operations and disease prevention efforts…. NPDES permits do not add any additional environmental benefits over those already included on the pesticide label. The bill preserves key environmental safeguards under FIFRA, ensuring continued oversight of pesticide use and accountability for misuse or spill events.” (read the full letter) National Association of Home Builders: “Regrettably, housing production is not keeping pace with demand. Among the significant headwinds facing the home building industry is an unpredictable regulatory landscape that adds costs and reduces the availability of buildable lots—making housing more unattainable…. Home builders support a key pillar of our nation’s infrastructure. Confidence in the CWA permitting regime is a cornerstone to building more housing supply. Combined, these legislative instruments respect environmental safeguards and make significant strides in ensuring clarity and predictability for home builders.” (read the full letter) National Association of Manufacturers: “Manufacturers are building the case for commonsense permitting reforms as part of a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that will unleash American competitiveness. In a 2024 survey of manufacturers, 72 percent of respondents said that the length and complexity of the permitting process affected their investment decisions. If we want to grow America’s economy, we need to fix this broken system. The PERMIT Act adopts the NAM’s key recommendations to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for modernization of regulatory authorities under the Clean Water Act—reforms that are critical to manufacturers’ ability to build, expand and hire in America.” (read the full letter) National Hydropower Association: “NHA welcomes the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s focus on improving implementation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in support of national energy goals…. For too long, certifying authorities have leveraged the certification process to delay and deny the licensing of hydropower projects for reasons unrelated to any water quality effects of the discharges from those projects. These commonsense improvements will ensure that hydropower and other energy projects receive timely water quality certifications while maintaining Section 401’s core purpose of allowing certifying authorities to ensure that discharges from federally licensed or permitted projects meet the requirements of the CWA.” (read the full letter) National Mining Association: “Together, these bills take meaningful steps to restore fairness, transparency and efficiency to the CWA permitting process—without compromising environmental standards. The mining industry stands ready to meet the nation’s energy and supply chain needs, and these reforms will help ensure U.S. projects are permitted responsibly and predictably.” (read the full letter) National Rural Electric Cooperative Association: “Reliable and affordable electricity is essential to America’s economic growth. And as our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power our economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important – or more challenging. It is essential that federal permitting programs – including those under the CWA – are implemented as intended by Congress and do not unnecessarily delay or hinder critical infrastructure projects essential to delivering electricity to homes, businesses, and farms across the country…. The CWA permitting bills introduced by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee would reduce overly burdensome regulatory requirements, protect against frivolous lawsuits, and increase transparency and efficiency in the CWA permitting process while maintaining important environmental protections.” (read the full letter) Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment: “The introduction of this package represents a necessary and timely first step in providing much-needed clarity and efficiency around CWA permitting. For far too long, the permitting process has been marked by regulatory confusion and redundant requirements that ultimately hinder, rather than help, effective environmental protection…. We commend the leadership of the Committee and the bill sponsors for advancing a package that restores clarity, upholds science-based regulation, and reinforces the role of state and local decision-makers in water quality protection.” (read the full letter) The Fertilizer Institute: “The ANS includes several common-sense policies to bring needed clarity, consistency, transparency and fairness to the Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting process all while maintaining law’s important protections for water quality and natural resources.” (read the full letter) U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “Streamlining and modernizing our federal permitting systems is intrinsically linked to fostering economic growth. A more transparent and efficient permitting process will facilitate the timely construction of quality infrastructure, which in turn will help create jobs and grow the economy. As the need for energy grows to meet the projected demands of artificial intelligence and data centers, increased domestic manufacturing and electrification efforts, building the smart, modern, resilient infrastructure required to meet that demand will depend on a commonsense permitting approach.” (read the full letter) Note: the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act, also includes the following previously introduced legislation:
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