To require the Secretary of Transportation to develop and implement an environmental review process for safety emergency highway projects.

Bill: 108-hr-3585
Sponsor: Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]
Introduced: 2003-11-21 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Government Operations and Politics
Highway maintenance
Infrastructure
Law
Licenses
Road construction
Traffic accidents and safety

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop and implement a process for the expedited environmental review and approval of safety emergency highway construction or maintenance projects that correct or improve hazardous locations on a highway.
 
Directs the Secretary to issue regulations that: (1) allow the use of the process for any project correcting or improving hazardous locations on a highway within a State where the motor vehicle accident rate is at least 50 percent higher than the statewide average for similar classes of highways, if the project only includes roadway safety improvements that have a high potential to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents; and (2) establish criteria for approving deviations from procedures established in regulations issued by the Secretary implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
 
Requires each Federal agency that has jurisdiction over environmental issues that may be affected by such a project and the analysis of which would be part of any environmental document required by NEPA, or that may be required by Federal law to independently conduct an environmental review or analysis for such project, determine whether to issue a permit, license, or approval of the project, or render an opinion or recommendation on the project's environmental impact, to issue regulations providing for the expedited processing of, and approval of deviations for, the project.
 
Exempts a Federal agency approving such a deviation from the requirement to consult with the Council on Environmental Quality.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-12-04
text: Executive Comment Requested from CEQ.
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Introduced in House