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SPEED Act

12/23/2025, 6:23 AM

Summary of Bill HR 4776

The bill, designated as H.R. 4776 in the 119th Congress and introduced on July 25, 2025, aims to amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with the goal of providing clarity to ambiguous provisions within the act. The proposed amendments intend to streamline and expedite the environmental review process, emphasizing efficiency and effectiveness in the review of environmental policies.

Congressional Summary of HR 4776

Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act or the SPEED Act

This bill limits the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and modifies the environmental review of major federal actions under NEPA to generally limit the number of federal actions that trigger NEPA review and to expedite the review process.

For example, the bill redefines major federal actions, including to specify that an agency may not determine that an action is a major federal action based solely on the provision of federal funds.

It also excludes from the requirement for NEPA review certain proposed agency actions that have already been reviewed under another federal, state, or tribal environmental review statute that meets the requirements of NEPA.

The bill directs an agency, when preparing an environmental document for a proposed agency action, to consider only those effects proximately caused by the immediate project or action under consideration. Agencies may not consider effects that are speculative, attenuated from the project or action, separate in time or place from the project or action, or in relation to separate projects or actions.

The bill modifies the requirement for agencies to prepare an environmental assessment to apply to agency actions that are not likely to have a reasonably foreseeable significant effect on the quality of the human environment. (Currently, the requirement only applies to actions that do not have such an effect.)

The bill makes a variety of other modifications to NEPA, including by limiting judicial review of NEPA cases.

Current Status of Bill HR 4776

Bill HR 4776 is currently in the status of Passed in House since December 18, 2025. Bill HR 4776 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the House on July 25, 2025.  Bill HR 4776's most recent activity was Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. as of December 18, 2025

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 4776

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
0
Republican Sponsors
1
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
31
Democrat Cosponsors
16
Republican Cosponsors
15
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 4776

Primary Policy Focus

Environmental Protection

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 4776

To amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to clarify ambiguous provisions and facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely environmental review process.
To amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to clarify ambiguous provisions and facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely environmental review process.

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