FREEDOM Act

This bill sets deadlines for federal agencies to decide on permits for energy, carbon dioxide, and mineral projects: 90 days for routine permits, 1 year for complex permits, and 2 years when a full environmental impact statement is needed. If an agency misses a deadline, the project sponsor can ask a court to order action, and the court may let the sponsor hire an approved contractor to finish the review, paid from a new $50 million Permitting Performance Fund. The bill limits when federal agencies can halt, suspend, or revoke permits for projects that already have most of their approvals. It also lets hardrock mining operators claim multiple mill sites of up to 5 acres each on public land, and makes several changes to geothermal leasing, including cost recovery, a required permitting guidebook, and a new Geothermal Ombudsman and task force.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Tom Cotton Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors