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Making Reviews Certain Act

USA119th CongressHR-8249| House 
| Updated: 4/13/2026
Josh Gottheimer

Josh Gottheimer

Democratic Representative

New Jersey

Natural Resources Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
This bill, named the "Making Reviews Certain Act," aims to streamline environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by clarifying and limiting the scope of agency analysis. It mandates that federal agencies preparing environmental documents are only required to consider effects that share a reasonably close causal relationship to, and are proximately caused by , the immediate project or action under consideration. This change narrows the range of indirect or cumulative impacts that agencies must assess, thereby potentially accelerating project approvals. The legislation also introduces significant limitations on judicial review of environmental documents specifically for energy infrastructure projects. It imposes a strict 180-day deadline for filing claims and requires challengers to have submitted a substantive public comment and demonstrate direct harm. Furthermore, courts are restricted from vacating final agency actions unless a significant risk of proximate and substantial environmental harm is proven, allowing projects to proceed even if environmental documents are remanded for corrections.
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Timeline
Apr 13, 2026
Introduced in House
Apr 13, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  • April 13, 2026
    Introduced in House


  • April 13, 2026
    Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Making Reviews Certain Act

USA119th CongressHR-8249| House 
| Updated: 4/13/2026
This bill, named the "Making Reviews Certain Act," aims to streamline environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by clarifying and limiting the scope of agency analysis. It mandates that federal agencies preparing environmental documents are only required to consider effects that share a reasonably close causal relationship to, and are proximately caused by , the immediate project or action under consideration. This change narrows the range of indirect or cumulative impacts that agencies must assess, thereby potentially accelerating project approvals. The legislation also introduces significant limitations on judicial review of environmental documents specifically for energy infrastructure projects. It imposes a strict 180-day deadline for filing claims and requires challengers to have submitted a substantive public comment and demonstrate direct harm. Furthermore, courts are restricted from vacating final agency actions unless a significant risk of proximate and substantial environmental harm is proven, allowing projects to proceed even if environmental documents are remanded for corrections.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Apr 13, 2026
Introduced in House
Apr 13, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  • April 13, 2026
    Introduced in House


  • April 13, 2026
    Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Josh Gottheimer

Josh Gottheimer

Democratic Representative

New Jersey

Natural Resources Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted