John P. Smith Act

Bill: 115-s-302
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Introduced: 2017-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Department of the Interior
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Federal-Indian relations
Government information and archives
Indian lands and resources rights
Land use and conservation
Motor carriers
Pedestrians and bicycling
Railroads
Roads and highways
Transportation and Public Works
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2017-02-03
text: 

John P. Smith Act

 
This bill modifies the approval process used for certain transportation projects on Indian reservations by allowing categorical exclusions from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.
 
A "categorical exclusion" is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.
 
A "tribal transportation safety project" is one that is eligible for assistance under the tribal transportation program and that:
 
 
corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature, or 
 
addresses a highway safety problem. 

 
The Department of the Interior shall review existing categorical exclusions for tribal transportation program projects and identify tribal transportation safety projects that meet categorical exclusion requirements. 
 
The bill prescribes requirements for the expedited review and approval of tribal transportation safety projects under NEPA or other federal laws.
 
Interior shall enter into five-year programmatic agreements with Indian tribes that establish efficient administrative procedures for carrying out environmental reviews for tribal transportation projects, including whether any project is categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or impact statement under NEPA.

action_date: 2017-04-06
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

John P. Smith Act

 
(Sec. 3) This bill modifies the approval process used for certain transportation projects on Indian reservations by allowing categorical exclusions from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.
 
A "categorical exclusion" is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.
 
A "tribal transportation safety project" is one that is eligible for assistance under the tribal transportation program and that:
 
 
corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature, or 
 
addresses a highway safety problem. 

 
The Department of the Interior shall review existing categorical exclusions for tribal transportation program projects and identify tribal transportation safety projects that meet categorical exclusion requirements. 
 
The bill prescribes requirements for the expedited review and approval of tribal transportation safety projects under NEPA or other federal laws.
 
(Sec. 4) Interior shall enter into five-year programmatic agreements with Indian tribes that establish efficient administrative procedures for carrying out environmental reviews for tribal transportation projects, including whether any project is categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or impact statement under NEPA.

action_date: 2017-11-29
text: 

John P. Smith Act

 
(Sec. 3) This bill modifies the approval process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for tribal transportation safety projects to categorically exclude qualifying projects from requirements to conduct environmental assessments and environmental impact statements. A tribal transportation safety project is one that is eligible for assistance under the tribal transportation program and that: (1) corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature, or (2) addresses a highway safety problem.
 
The Department of the Interior must: (1) review existing Federal Highway Administration categorical exclusions to determine applicability to tribal transportation program projects, and (2) identify tribal transportation safety projects that meet general categorical exclusion requirements. Interior must establish categorical exclusions for tribal projects consistent with its findings.
 
The bill prescribes requirements for the expedited review and approval of tribal transportation safety projects under NEPA or other federal laws.
 
(Sec. 4) Interior must enter into five-year programmatic agreements with Indian tribes that establish efficient administrative procedures for carrying out environmental reviews for tribal transportation program projects. An agreement may allow a tribe to determine whether a project is categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or impact statement under NEPA.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-11-30
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2017-11-30
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2017-11-30
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2017-11-29
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7490-7491; text: CR S7490-7491)
action_date: 2017-11-29
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7490-7491; text: CR S7490-7491)
action_date: 2017-04-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 33.
action_date: 2017-04-06
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven without amendment. With written report No. 115-27.
action_date: 2017-04-06
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven without amendment. With written report No. 115-27.
action_date: 2017-02-08
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported favorably.
action_date: 2017-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S680-681)
action_date: 2017-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate