I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6129 
To require the Council on Environmental Quality to publish an annual report 
on environmental reviews and causes of action based on compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 1, 2023 
Mr. YAKYM (for himself and Mr. PANETTA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To require the Council on Environmental Quality to publish 
an annual report on environmental reviews and causes 
of action based on compliance with the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Studying NEPA’s Im-
pact on Projects Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON NEPA’S IMPACT ON PROJECTS. 
Section 201 of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4341) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘SEC. 201. ANNUAL REPORT ON NEPA’S IMPACT ON 
PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Beginning July 1, 2024, 
the Council on Environmental Quality shall annually pub-
lish on the website of the Council on Environmental Qual-
ity, and submit to Congress, a report on— 
‘‘(1) each cause of action based on compliance 
with this Act filed during the period beginning June 
1 of the preceding year and ending June 1 of the 
current year, which shall identify— 
‘‘(A) with respect to each such cause of ac-
tion, the lead defendant Federal agency and the 
lead plaintiff; 
‘‘(B) the number of such causes of action, 
disaggregated by the lead defendant Federal 
agency; 
‘‘(C) the alleged basis for each such cause 
of action, disaggregated by type; and 
‘‘(D) the status and outcome, if applicable, 
of each cause of action based on compliance 
with this Act filed during the period beginning 
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June 1 of the preceding year and ending June 
1 of the current year, including whether— 
‘‘(i) the cause of action resulted in the 
major Federal action being reversed; 
‘‘(ii) the lead defendant Federal agen-
cy was allowed to move forward with the 
major Federal action; 
‘‘(iii) the court issued a ruling direct-
ing the lead defendant Federal agency to 
take additional measures to be in compli-
ance; 
‘‘(iv) the lead plaintiff and the lead 
defendant Federal agency settled amongst 
themselves; and 
‘‘(v) the cause of action is still in 
progress; 
‘‘(2) the length of environmental impact state-
ments prepared pursuant to section 102(2)(C) dur-
ing the period of 5 years that ends on June 1 of the 
current year, which shall include— 
‘‘(A) the average and median page count of 
each draft and final environmental impact 
statement (including the appendix) published in 
the Federal Register during such period of 5 
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years, including such page counts disaggregated 
by quartiles; 
‘‘(B) the number of draft and final envi-
ronmental impact statements published in the 
Federal Register during such period of 5 years, 
disaggregated by lead Federal agency and sub-
agency as applicable; and 
‘‘(C) a description of trends in average and 
median page count of draft and final environ-
mental impact statements published in the Fed-
eral Register during such period of 5 years 
compared to prior reports published by the 
Council on Environmental Quality; and 
‘‘(3) the timelines to complete environmental re-
views pursuant to section 102(2)(C) during the pe-
riod of 10 years that ends on June 1 of the current 
year, which shall include— 
‘‘(A) with respect to each major Federal 
action commenced during such period of 10 
years, the date on which (as applicable)— 
‘‘(i) the notice of intent to prepare the 
environmental impact statement was pub-
lished in the Federal Register; 
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‘‘(ii) the draft environmental impact 
statement was published in the Federal 
Register; 
‘‘(iii) the final environmental impact 
statement was published in the Federal 
Register; and 
‘‘(iv) the record of decision was pub-
lished in the Federal Register; 
‘‘(B) the average and median publication 
timelines during such period of 10 years for 
each document described in subparagraph (A); 
and 
‘‘(C) a description of trends in completion 
times during such period of 10 years for such 
documents compared to prior reports published 
by the Council on Environmental Quality. 
‘‘(b) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF DATA.—The Council 
on Environmental Quality shall publish with each report 
published under subsection (a) the underlying data used 
to prepare each such report.’’. 
Æ 
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