HR 1654 RFS
(B) the resources available to the cooper-
ating agencies and the non-Federal qualifying 
project sponsor, as applicable; 
(C) the overall size and complexity of the 
qualifying project; 
(D) the overall schedule for and cost of the 
qualifying project; and 
(E) the sensitivity of the natural and his-
toric resources that may be affected by the 
qualifying project. 
(4) ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE.—Prepare a 
unified environmental review document for each 
qualifying project application, incorporating a single 
environmental record on which all cooperating agen-
cies with authority to issue approvals for a given 
qualifying project shall base project approval deci-
sions. Help ensure that cooperating agencies make 
necessary decisions, within their respective authori-
ties, regarding Federal approvals in accordance with 
the following timelines: 
(A) Not later than 1 year after acceptance 
of a completed project application when an en-
vironmental assessment and finding of no sig-
nificant impact is determined to be the appro-
priate level of review under the National Envi-
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ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq.). 
(B) Not later than 1 year and 30 days 
after the close of the public comment period for 
a draft environmental impact statement under 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), when an environ-
mental impact statement is required under the 
same. 
(5) 
CONSOLIDATED
ADMINISTRATIVE 
RECORD.—Maintain a consolidated administrative 
record of the information assembled and used by the 
cooperating agencies as the basis for agency deci-
sions. 
(6) PROJECT DATA RECORDS.—To the extent 
practicable and consistent with Federal law, ensure 
that all project data is submitted and maintained in 
generally accessible electronic format, compile, and 
where authorized under existing law, make available 
such project data to cooperating agencies, the quali-
fying project applicant, and to the public. 
(7) PROJECT
MANAGER.—Appoint a project 
manager for each qualifying project. The project 
manager shall have authority to oversee the project 
and to facilitate the issuance of the relevant final 
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authorizing documents, and shall be responsible for 
ensuring fulfillment of all Bureau responsibilities set 
forth in this section and all cooperating agency re-
sponsibilities under section 5. 
SEC. 5. COOPERATING AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 
(a) ADHERENCE TO BUREAU SCHEDULE.— 
(1) TIMEFRAMES.—On notification of an appli-
cation for a qualifying project, the head of each co-
operating agency shall submit to the Bureau a time-
frame under which the cooperating agency reason-
ably will be able to complete the authorizing respon-
sibilities of the cooperating agency. 
(2) SCHEDULE.— 
(A) USE
OF
TIMEFRAMES.—The Bureau 
shall use the timeframes submitted under this 
subsection to establish the project schedule 
under section 4. 
(B) ADHERENCE.—Each cooperating agen-
cy shall adhere to the project schedule estab-
lished by the Bureau under subparagraph (A). 
(b) ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD.—The head of each 
cooperating agency shall submit to the Bureau all environ-
mental review material produced or compiled in the course 
of carrying out activities required under Federal law, con-
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sistent with the project schedule established by the Bureau 
under subsection (a)(2). 
(c) DATA SUBMISSION.—To the extent practicable 
and consistent with Federal law, the head of each cooper-
ating agency shall submit all relevant project data to the 
Bureau in a generally accessible electronic format, subject 
to the project schedule established by the Bureau under 
subsection (a)(2). 
SEC. 6. FUNDING TO PROCESS PERMITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, after public notice 
in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 
7, of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the 
‘‘Administrative Procedure Act’’), may accept and expend 
funds contributed by a non-Federal public entity to expe-
dite the evaluation of a permit of that entity related to 
a qualifying project. 
(b) EFFECT ON PERMITTING.— 
(1) EVALUATION OF PERMITS.—In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary shall ensure that the eval-
uation of permits carried out using funds accepted 
under this section shall— 
(A) be reviewed by the Regional Director 
of the Bureau of the region in which the quali-
fying project or activity is located (or a des-
ignee); and 
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(B) use the same procedures for decisions 
that would otherwise be required for the evalua-
tion of permits for similar projects or activities 
not carried out using funds authorized under 
this section. 
(2) IMPARTIAL DECISIONMAKING.—In carrying 
out this section, the Secretary and the head of each 
cooperating agency receiving funds under this sec-
tion for a qualifying project shall ensure that the use 
of the funds accepted under this section for the 
qualifying project shall not— 
(A) substantively or procedurally impact 
impartial decisionmaking with respect to the 
issuance of permits; or 
(B) diminish, modify, or otherwise affect 
the statutory or regulatory authorities of the 
cooperating agency. 
(c) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—None of the 
funds accepted under this section shall be used to carry 
out a review of the evaluation of permits required under 
subsection (b)(1)(A). 
(d) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall en-
sure that all final permit decisions carried out using funds 
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authorized under this section are made available to the 
public, including on the Internet. 
Passed the House of Representatives June 22, 2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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