H.R. 3898 – PERMIT Act

Made In Order

Bean #1 – Codifies the dredge and fill permitting programs administered by the States of Florida, Michigan, and New Jersey and clarify the law so that other states may successfully navigate the process to assume this authority
Babin #2 – Ensures that the judicial review process for Section 401 of the Clean Water Act is efficient and lays out a path for certainty in resolving such actions
Biggs (AZ) #3 – Amends the definition of “prior converted cropland” under the Waters of the United States rule by striking “five years” and inserting “ten years”
Biggs (AZ) #4 – Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to identify parcels of federal land suitable for aquifer recharge projects and requires the agencies to establish clear, expedited permitting pathways
Biggs (AZ) #5 – Requires the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to map parcels of federal land suitable for brackish groundwater extraction and desalination facilities, and mandates that the agencies create streamlined permitting processes for the development of brackish groundwater wells and inland desalination plants on those parcels
Crawford #6 – Increases the available supply of mitigation bank credits, driving down the cost curve and lowering home prices both through directly lowering the regulatory cost of building a new home and by allowing builders to use lots that the cost of mitigation today prevents them from using. The revision made is on page 2, Section 1(4)(A) and it provides some conforming language to encourage broader service areas across the spectrum, and help address the issue that we are seeing today where areas are oversubscribed for mitigation credits and cannot secure what they need in order to build
Nunn #7 – Establishes a voluntary pilot program to support State-led water quality improvements in waters impaired for nitrogen or phosphorus under section 303(d)
Peters #8 – Authorizes the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to accept funds for activities relating to wastewater treatment and flood control works, and for other purposes