Oppose HB4776 to Preserve Environmental Protections and Judicial Oversight

I urge you to oppose HB4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, which would fundamentally weaken environmental protections under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This legislation prioritizes development speed over thorough environmental assessment and restricts the ability of communities to protect their local environments. HB4776 imposes a 180-day deadline for courts to resolve environmental challenges, regardless of case complexity. This arbitrary timeline compromises due process and prevents meaningful judicial review of agency decisions that could affect air quality, water resources, and public health in our communities. The bill also limits judicial review to procedural compliance only, explicitly prohibiting courts from evaluating whether agencies made sound environmental determinations. This strips away a critical check on federal agency power. The legislation narrows the definition of reasonably foreseeable environmental effects to require direct causal relationships, effectively excluding consideration of cumulative impacts and climate change effects that develop through indirect pathways. This restriction prevents agencies from assessing the full scope of environmental consequences that will affect constituents for generations. HB4776 severely restricts standing to challenge agency actions, limiting it only to parties who submitted substantive comments during public proceedings. This requirement creates a barrier for communities that lack resources to participate extensively in federal administrative processes, effectively silencing voices most affected by environmental decisions. The bill also allows agency actions to continue during judicial remand, risking irreversible environmental harm before courts can provide meaningful remedies. Rather than expediting responsible development, this legislation undermines the environmental safeguards that protect community health and natural resources. I ask you to oppose HB4776 and support environmental review processes that balance economic development with comprehensive assessment of impacts to local communities and ecosystems.