“To modernize permitting systems at the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section directs the Secretary of the Interior, to the extent practicable, to (1) design and deliver modernized electronic permitting systems to accept, process, and record applications (including plans, payments, and correspondence) for Department-regulated permits, forms, and paperwork; (2) establish a centralized online public repository on the Department's website with hyperlinks to all such systems and contact information for assistance to state, tribal, and local governments; and (3) provide periodic implementation updates to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The section further prohibits disclosure of information exempt under the Freedom of Information Act or other federal laws, bars duplication of existing systems, and requires consultation with states, local governments, Indian Tribes, and other permit applicants and users.
This section directs the Secretary of the Interior, in developing electronic permitting systems under section 2 of this Act, to ensure consistency with the priorities for a unified federal permitting portal identified in section 110 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4336d) (i.e., features such as unified document submission and tracking, real-time interagency collaboration and editing, mobile-accessible tools for complex reviews, and lay-audience transparency on data, analyses, and timelines) for any permit requiring NEPA review.