I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 573 
To require the Council on Environmental Quality to publish an annual report 
on environmental reviews and causes of action based on alleged non- 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 21, 2025 
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 alleged non-compliance with the Na-
tional Environmental 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, 2025, 
the Council on Environmental Quality shall annually pub-
lish on the website of the Council on Environmental Qual-
ity, and submit to the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, a report 
on— 
‘‘(1) each cause of action based on alleged non- 
compliance with this Act that was active during the 
period beginning June 1 of the preceding year and 
ending June 1 of the current year, which shall iden-
tify— 
‘‘(A) with respect to each such cause of ac-
tion— 
‘‘(i) the defendant lead agency and 
the lead plaintiff; and 
‘‘(ii) the court in which the cause of 
action was brought and any court to which 
a decision on the cause of action was ap-
pealed; 
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‘‘(B) the number of such causes of action, 
disaggregated by the defendant lead 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 alleged non- 
compliance with this Act that was active during 
the period beginning June 1 of the preceding 
year and ending June 1 of the current year, in-
cluding whether— 
‘‘(i) the cause of action resulted in the 
major Federal action being reversed; 
‘‘(ii) the defendant lead agency was 
allowed to move forward with the major 
Federal action; 
‘‘(iii) the court issued a ruling direct-
ing the defendant lead agency to take addi-
tional measures to be in compliance; 
‘‘(iv) the lead plaintiff and the defend-
ant lead agency settled amongst them-
selves; 
‘‘(v) the cause of action is still active; 
and 
‘‘(vi) the lead plaintiff received an 
award, including an award of costs pursu-
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ant to section 2412 of title 28, United 
States Code; 
‘‘(2) the length of environmental impact state-
ments and environmental assessments prepared pur-
suant to section 102(2)(C) during 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 and environmental assessment (in-
cluding the appendix) published in the Federal 
Register during such period of 5 years, includ-
ing such page counts disaggregated by quar-
tiles; 
‘‘(B) the number of draft and final envi-
ronmental impact statements and environ-
mental assessments published in the Federal 
Register during such period of 5 years, 
disaggregated by defendant lead agency and 
subagency as applicable; and 
‘‘(C) a description of trends in average and 
median page count of draft and final environ-
mental impact statements and environmental 
assessments published in the Federal Register 
during such period of 5 years compared to prior 
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reports published by the Council on Environ-
mental Quality; 
‘‘(3) the total cost to prepare the environmental 
impact statements and environmental assessments 
described in paragraph (2), including— 
‘‘(A) the full-time equivalent personnel 
hour costs, contractor costs, and other direct 
costs of the lead agency that prepared the envi-
ronmental impact statement or environmental 
assessment; and 
‘‘(B) if practicable, and noted where not 
practicable, the costs incurred by cooperating 
agencies, participating agencies, applicants, and 
contractors; and 
‘‘(4) 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 project sponsor submitted an 
application for any permit or other author-
ization for the project; 
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‘‘(ii) the lead agency began the 
scoping; 
‘‘(iii) the notice of intent to prepare 
the environmental impact statement was 
published in the Federal Register; 
‘‘(iv) the draft environmental impact 
statement was published in the Federal 
Register; 
‘‘(v) the final environmental impact 
statement was published in the Federal 
Register; 
‘‘(vi) the record of decision was pub-
lished in the Federal Register; and 
‘‘(vii) the lead agency provided to the 
project sponsor notice to proceed on the 
project; 
‘‘(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) FORMAT.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The information included 
in each report required under subsection (a) shall be 
disaggregated by the type of project and covered sec-
tor. 
‘‘(2) COVERED SECTORS.—In this subsection, 
the term ‘covered sector’ means any of the following 
sectors: 
‘‘(A) Aviation and space. 
‘‘(B) Broadband. 
‘‘(C) Carbon capture and sequestration. 
‘‘(D) Conventional energy production. 
‘‘(E) Renewable energy production. 
‘‘(F) Electricity transmission. 
‘‘(G) Manufacturing. 
‘‘(H) Mining. 
‘‘(I) Pipelines. 
‘‘(J) Ports and waterways. 
‘‘(K) Surface transportation. 
‘‘(L) Information technology infrastruc-
ture. 
‘‘(M) Water resources. 
‘‘(N) Forestry. 
‘‘(O) Any other sector as determined by 
the Council on Environmental Quality. 
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‘‘(c) 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 and include any citations or 
other information necessary for the public to locate 
records related to the court proceedings for any cause of 
action described in subsection (a)(1).’’. 
Æ 
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