No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3278 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3278
To require the Secretary of Transportation to develop a centralized,
web-based platform for managing, submitting, and tracking documents and
processes relating to compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 20, 2025
Ms. Lummis (for herself and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Transportation to develop a centralized,
web-based platform for managing, submitting, and tracking documents and
processes relating to compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, 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 ``Streamlining Modeling for Advanced,
Rapid Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2025'' or the ``SMART
Infrastructure Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) Federal permitting processes for infrastructure
projects are often delayed due to inefficient coordination,
imperfect communication of complex information, manual data
handling, and lack of transparency;
(2) 2-dimensional paper- and PDF-based project designs
impede the effective communication of complex, integrated
engineering-based project information to government agencies,
project stakeholders, laypersons, and local communities,
causing delays in permitting and project delivery;
(3) digital twin technology enables real-time, high
quality, high resolution, data-driven modeling of
infrastructure projects that improves planning, environmental
review, and stakeholder collaboration;
(4) digital twin technology is widely available on the
commercial market from a variety of vendors;
(5) digital twins of infrastructure projects include and
preserve detailed information about the project, acting as a
single source of truth for all participants in the development
of the project, which improves quality, reduces project risk,
and accelerates delivery;
(6) technological progress in the planning, permitting,
design, construction, delivery, operation, and management of
infrastructure is best achieved when design models are
developed and transmitted in interoperable, digital, high-
fidelity, 3-dimensional formats;
(7) an electronic NEPA portal can centralize permitting
data, streamline reviews, reduce environmental review
timelines, and enhance public access to environmental
documents; and
(8) modernizing permitting processes will accelerate
critical infrastructure development, support economic growth,
and ensure environmental protections.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
(2) Covered infrastructure project.--The term ``covered
infrastructure project'' means any infrastructure project under
Title 49 for which the Department of Transportation is the lead
agency.
(3) Digital twin.--The term ``digital twin'', with respect
to an infrastructure project or infrastructure asset, means a
high-fidelity, digital model of the infrastructure project or
infrastructure asset that--
(A) integrates real-time data from design,
construction, operation, maintenance, and environmental
factors to simulate the performance and impacts of the
infrastructure project or infrastructure asset; and
(B) is used to ensure greater accuracy, efficiency,
and seamless integration of elements throughout the
infrastructure project or infrastructure asset
lifecycle.
(4) Eligible project.--The term ``eligible project'' means
a covered infrastructure project for which each of the
following are used:
(A) 1 or more digital twins.
(B) The e-NEPA portal developed under section 5(a).
(5) E-NEPA document.--The term ``e-NEPA document'' means an
electronic environmental document or other NEPA-related
document, including a permitting document, that is developed,
submitted, reviewed, or tracked through the use of an e-NEPA
portal.
(6) E-NEPA portal.--The term ``e-NEPA portal'' means a
centralized, web-based platform--
(A) for managing, submitting, and tracking
documents and processes relating to NEPA compliance;
and
(B) through which e-NEPA documents are developed
with interactive, digital technologies and systems to
streamline--
(i) document development; and
(ii) communications between project
sponsors, government agencies, and community
stakeholders with respect to the documents and
processes required under NEPA.
(7) Environmental document.--The term ``environmental
document'' has the meaning given the term in section 111 of
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4336e).
(8) Infrastructure.--The term ``infrastructure'' means
physical infrastructure.
(9) Lead agency.--The term ``lead agency'' has the meaning
given the term in section 111 of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4336e).
(10) NEPA.--The term ``NEPA'' means the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
(11) Open application programming interface.--The term
``open application programming interface'' mean an open source,
machine-readable specification format that facilitates the
integration of different systems from a variety of vendors,
allowing the free exchange of data between engineering software
tools, and enabling clear documentation and communication,
without users needing access to the source code.
(12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Transportation.
SEC. 4. DIGITAL TWIN IMPLEMENTATION IN PERMITTING.
(a) Guidelines for Adoption of Digital Twin Technology.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the
Council on Environmental Quality and relevant Federal agencies,
shall establish guidelines for integrating digital twin
technology into the permitting process for covered
infrastructure projects.
(2) Requirements.--
(A) In general.--The guidelines established under
paragraph (1) shall include--
(i) standards for creating and maintaining
digital twins to model project impacts,
including environmental, economic, and
operational factors;
(ii) requirements for interoperability with
existing Federal permitting systems; and
(iii) protocols for real-time data
integration from environmental sensors,
geographic information systems, and stakeholder
inputs.
(B) Open application programming interfaces.--The
standards described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall
include recommendations that digital twins be developed
with open application programming interfaces.
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a pilot
program to test digital twin applications in not less than 10
covered infrastructure projects across diverse sectors.
(2) Requirements.--The pilot program established under
paragraph (1) shall evaluate--
(A) the extent of any--
(i) reductions in permitting timelines;
(ii) improvements in environmental impact
assessments;
(iii) cost savings; and
(iv) stakeholder collaboration outcomes;
and
(B) the importance of early public stakeholder
engagement.
(3) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings of
the pilot program.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF E-NEPA PORTAL.
(a) Development.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the
Council on Environmental Quality, the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary of Commerce,
shall develop an e-NEPA portal for covered infrastructure
projects.
(2) Requirements.--The e-NEPA portal developed under
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) serve as a centralized platform for submitting,
reviewing, and tracking e-NEPA documents;
(B) integrate with digital twin models to provide
real-time visualization of the impacts of covered
infrastructure projects;
(C) provide public access to--
(i) nonsensitive e-NEPA documents; and
(ii) comment periods; and
(D) include secure data storage compliant with
Federal cybersecurity standards.
(b) Agency Coordination.--
(1) Requirement.--Beginning not later than January 1, 2028,
all Federal agencies involved in an environmental review under
NEPA for a covered infrastructure project shall use the e-NEPA
portal developed under subsection (a) for all permitting
relating to that covered infrastructure project.
(2) Role of the secretary.--For each covered infrastructure
project for which the e-NEPA portal developed under subsection
(a) is used, the Secretary shall--
(A) oversee portal-based coordination; and
(B) ensure compliance with statutory deadlines.
(c) Public Interface.--The e-NEPA portal developed under subsection
(a) shall include a public interface allowing stakeholders and members
of the public, including communities--
(1) to access, for covered infrastructure projects--
(A) project timelines;
(B) nonsensitive e-NEPA documents; and
(C) information relating to the status of
permitting for the covered infrastructure project; and
(2) to submit comments on a digital platform or website
during NEPA public comment periods.
SEC. 6. ACCELERATED PERMITTING TIMELINES.
(a) Streamlined Reviews.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use all available
existing authorities to reduce NEPA environmental review
timelines for eligible projects by not less than 25 percent
compared to existing averages.
(2) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate
guidance or regulations, as necessary, to implement the
requirements of paragraph (1).
(b) Interagency Coordination.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use the e-NEPA portal
developed under section 5(a) to coordinate with other Federal,
State, and local agencies to accelerate reviews for covered
infrastructure projects.
(2) Single environmental document.--A single environmental
document shall be used across agencies for each covered
infrastructure project.
SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT.
The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress an annual report that describes--
(1) any progress made with respect to--
(A) the integration of digital twin technology into
the permitting process for covered infrastructure
projects; and
(B) the development and use of an e-NEPA portal for
covered infrastructure projects;
(2) any reductions in permitting timelines and costs for
covered infrastructure projects; and
(3) any environmental, public stakeholder, or community
outcomes from the use of digital twins or the e-NEPA portal
developed under section 5(a).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line