NEPA Data Transparency and Accountability Act of 2020

To amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to require the submission of certain reports, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the NEPA Data Transparency and Accountability Act of 2020 2. Required reports under NEPA Title I of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 is amended— (1) by redesignating section 105 ( 42 U.S.C. 4335 (2) by inserting after section 104 ( 42 U.S.C. 4334 105. Required reports (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Environmental assessment The term environmental assessment (2) Environmental impact statement The term environmental impact statement (3) Federal agency The term Federal agency (4) Head of a Federal agency The term head of a Federal agency (5) NEPA process (A) In general The term NEPA process (B) Period For purposes of subparagraph (A), the NEPA process— (i) begins on the date on which the head of a Federal agency receives an application for a proposed action from a project sponsor; and (ii) ends on the date on which the Federal agency issues, with respect to the proposed action— (I) a record of decision, including, if necessary, a revised record of decision; (II) a finding of no significant impact; or (III) a categorical exclusion under this title. (6) Project sponsor The term project sponsor (b) Reports (1) NEPA data (A) In general The head of each Federal agency that carries out the NEPA process shall carry out a process to track, and annually submit to Congress a report containing, the information described in subparagraph (B). (B) Information described The information referred to in subparagraph (A) is, with respect to the Federal agency issuing the report under that subparagraph— (i) the number of proposed actions for which a categorical exclusion was issued during the reporting period; (ii) the length of time the Federal agency took to issue the categorical exclusions described in clause (i); (iii) the number of proposed actions pending on the date on which the report is submitted for which the issuance of a categorical exclusion is pending; (iv) the number of proposed actions for which an environmental assessment was issued during the reporting period; (v) the length of time the Federal agency took to complete each environmental assessment described in clause (iv); (vi) the number of proposed actions pending on the date on which the report is submitted for which an environmental assessment is being drafted; (vii) the number of proposed actions for which an environmental impact statement was issued during the reporting period; (viii) the length of time the Federal agency took to complete each environmental impact statement described in clause (vii); and (ix) the number of proposed actions pending on the date on which the report is submitted for which an environmental impact statement is being drafted. (2) NEPA costs (A) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall jointly develop a methodology to assess the comprehensive costs of the NEPA process. (B) Requirements The head of each Federal agency that carries out the NEPA process shall— (i) adopt the methodology developed under subparagraph (A); and (ii) use the methodology developed under subparagraph (A) to annually submit to Congress a report describing— (I) the comprehensive cost of the NEPA process for each proposed action that was carried out within the reporting period; and (II) for a proposed action for which the head of the Federal agency is still completing the NEPA process at the time the report is submitted— (aa) the amount of money expended to date to carry out the NEPA process for the proposed action; and (bb) an estimate of the remaining costs before the NEPA process for the proposed action is complete. .

Summary: NEPA Data Transparency and Accountability Act of 2020 This bill requires federal agencies to annually report on their environmental review activities as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.