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‘(5) COOPERATING
AGENCY.—A participating 
agency may also be designated by a lead agency as 
a ‘‘cooperating agency’’ under the regulations con-
tained in part 1500 of title 40, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations. 
‘(6) 
DESIGNATIONS
FOR
CATEGORIES
OF 
PROJECTS.—The Secretary may exercise the authori-
ties granted under this subsection for a project, 
class of projects, or program of projects. 
‘(c) PROJECT INITIATION.—
‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The project sponsor shall 
initiate the environmental review process for a 
project by submitting an initiation notice to the Sec-
retary. 
‘(2) CONTENTS OF NOTICE.—The initiation no-
tice shall include, at a minimum, a brief description 
of the type of work, termini, length, and general lo-
cation of the proposed project, together with a state-
ment of any Federal approvals anticipated to be 
needed for the project. 
‘(d) PURPOSE AND NEED.—
‘(1) PARTICIPATION.—As early as practicable 
during the environmental review process, the lead 
agency shall provide an opportunity for involvement
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by participating agencies and the public in defining 
the purpose and need for a project. 
‘(2) 
DEFINITION.—Following 
participation 
under paragraph (1), the lead agency shall define 
the project’s purpose and need for purposes of any 
document which the lead agency is responsible for 
preparing for the project. 
‘(3) OBJECTIVES.—The statement of purpose 
and need shall include a clear statement of the ob-
jectives that the proposed action is intended to 
achieve, which may include—
‘(A) achieving a transportation objective 
identified in an applicable statewide or metro-
politan transportation plan; 
‘(B) supporting land use, economic devel-
opment, or growth objectives established in ap-
plicable Federal, State, local, or tribal plans; 
and 
‘(C) serving national defense, national se-
curity, or other national objectives, as estab-
lished in Federal laws, plans, or policies. 
‘(e) ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS.—
‘(1) PARTICIPATION.—As early as practicable 
during the environmental review process, the lead 
agency shall provide an opportunity for involvement
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HR 3 IH1S 
by participating agencies and the public in deter-
mining the range of alternatives to be considered for 
a project. 
‘(2) RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES.—Following par-
ticipation under paragraph (1), the lead agency shall 
determine the range of alternatives for consideration 
in any document which the lead agency is respon-
sible for preparing for the project. 
‘(3) METHODOLOGIES.—The lead agency also 
shall determine, in collaboration with participating 
agencies at appropriate times during the study proc-
ess, the methodologies to be used and the level of de-
tail required in the analysis of each alternative for 
a project. 
‘(4) PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.—At the discre-
tion of the lead agency, the preferred alternative for 
a project, after being identified, may be developed to 
a higher level of detail than other alternatives in 
order to facilitate the development of mitigation 
measures or concurrent compliance with other appli-
cable laws if the lead agency determines that the de-
velopment of such higher level of detail will not pre-
vent the lead agency from making an impartial deci-
sion as to whether to accept another alternative
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which is being considered in the environmental re-
view process. 
‘(f) COMMENT DEADLINES.—The lead agency shall 
establish the following deadlines for comment during the 
environmental review process for a project: 
‘(1) For comments by agencies and the public 
on a draft environmental impact statement, a period 
of no more than 60 days from the date of public 
availability of such document, unless—
‘(A) a different deadline is established by 
agreement of the lead agency, the project spon-
sor, and all participating agencies; or 
‘(B) the deadline is extended by the lead 
agency for good cause. 
‘(2) For all other comment periods established 
by the lead agency for agency or public comments in 
the environmental review process, a period of no 
more than 30 days from availability of the materials 
on which comment is requested, unless—
‘(A) a different deadline is established by 
agreement of the lead agency, the project spon-
sor, and all participating agencies; or 
‘(B) the deadline is extended by the lead 
agency for good cause. 
‘(g) ISSUE IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION.—
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‘(1) COOPERATION.—The lead agency and the 
participating agencies shall work cooperatively in ac-
cordance with this section to identify and resolve 
issues that could delay completion of the environ-
mental review process or could result in denial of 
any approvals required for the project under applica-
ble laws. 
‘(2) LEAD
AGENCY
RESPONSIBILITIES.—The 
lead agency shall make information available to the 
participating agencies as early as practicable in the 
environmental review process regarding the environ-
mental and socioeconomic resources located within 
the project area and the general locations of the al-
ternatives under consideration. Such information 
may be based on existing data sources, including ge-
ographic information systems mapping. 
‘(3) PARTICIPATING
AGENCY
RESPONSIBIL-
ITIES.—Based on information received from the lead 
agency, participating agencies shall identify, as early 
as practicable, any issues of concern regarding the 
project’s potential environmental or socioeconomic 
impacts. In this paragraph, issues of concern include 
any issues that could substantially delay or prevent 
an agency from granting a permit or other approval 
that is needed for the project.
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‘(4) ISSUE RESOLUTION.—Whenever issues of 
concern are identified or at any time upon request 
of a project sponsor, the lead agency shall promptly 
convene a meeting with the relevant participating 
agencies. If a resolution cannot be achieved within 
30 days following such a meeting and a determina-
tion by the lead agency that all information nec-
essary to resolve the issue has been obtained, the 
lead agency shall notify the heads of all Federal 
agencies involved in the meeting and the Committee 
on Environment and Public Works of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and shall 
publish such notification in the Federal Register. 
‘(h) PARTICIPATION OF STATE AGENCIES.—For any 
project eligible for assistance under title 23 or chapter 53, 
a State may require, under procedures established by 
State law, that all State agencies that have jurisdiction 
by State or Federal law over environmental-related issues 
that may be affected by the project, or that are required 
to issue any environmental-related reviews, analyses, opin-
ions, or determinations on issuing any permits, licenses, 
or approvals for the project, be subject to the coordinated 
environmental review process established under this sec-
tion unless the Secretary determines that a State agency’s