Help DPA Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8313 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8313

     To prioritize Federal permitting for certain national defense 
activities related to the authorities under the Defense Production Act 
    of 1950 and projects related to such activities, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2024

 Mr. Luetkemeyer introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To prioritize Federal permitting for certain national defense 
activities related to the authorities under the Defense Production Act 
    of 1950 and projects related to such activities, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Help Expedite Lagging Permitting for 
Defense Production Act'' or the ``Help DPA Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 is used 
        to ensure that our nation has sufficient industrial resources 
        to meet our national security needs; and
            (2) projects funded under such title are of critical 
        importance to the national security are almost always time 
        sensitive.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Federal permitting process should not delay crucial 
        national defense projects any longer than necessary; and
            (2) projects funded under title III of the Defense 
        Production Act of 1950 and projects given the highest priority 
        under title I of the Defense Production Act of 1950 deserve an 
        expedited Federal permitting process.

SEC. 3. IMPROVING PERMITTING FOR CERTAIN NATIONAL DEFENSE SECTORS 
              EXPERIENCING AN INDUSTRIAL BASE SHORTFALL.

    (a) Faster Permitting.--Section 41001(6)(A) of the FAST Act (42 
U.S.C. 4370m(6)(A)) is amended by inserting ``a covered national 
defense activity (as defined in section 712(b) of the Defense 
Production Act of 1950),'' after ``energy storage,''.
    (b) Prioritized Permitting.--The Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 
U.S.C. 4501) is amended by inserting after section 711 the following:

``SEC. 712. PRIORITIZED PERMITTING.

    ``(a) In General.--With respect to a project that is a covered 
national defense activity, if such project requires a permit from a 
Federal agency, the Federal agency shall prioritize the consideration 
of such permit over all over projects requiring a permit from the 
agency.
    ``(b) Covered National Defense Activity Defined.--The term `covered 
national defense activity' means a project--
            ``(1) funded in whole or in part with loans made or 
        guaranteed, or grants made, under title III;
            ``(2) in a sector essential for the national defense with 
        respect to which the President makes a determination under this 
        Act that the sector is experiencing an industrial base 
        shortfall; or
            ``(3) for the production of goods or services, the 
        contracts or orders for which the President has deemed 
        necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense and 
        has prioritized under title I.''.
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