Commonsense Review Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8247
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-13: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-23T19:56:42Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Commonsense Review Act (H.R. 8247) aims to streamline environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by promoting coordination among federal agencies on categorical exclusions (CEs). CEs are predefined categories of actions that agencies can approve without full environmental impact studies because they typically do not harm the environment.
Key Provisions
- Establishes an interagency group:
- Members: Secretary of Energy (chair), Secretary of the Interior, all Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) members, and Secretary of Agriculture.
- Duties (due within 360 days of enactment):
- Each member must adopt CEs already listed in another member's NEPA procedures if appropriate, following NEPA's consultation rules (section 109).
- Pairs of members must create new CEs for interstate electric transmission lines or battery energy storage projects that normally do not significantly affect the environment.
- Reporting requirement: The group submits a report to Congress detailing adopted/established CEs, reasons for any non-action, and recommendations for future collaboration or statutory CEs.
- Sunset clause: The group dissolves after submitting the report.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Mandates proactive adoption and creation of CEs across agencies, building on NEPA section 109 (which already allows but does not require interagency CE adoption).
- Introduces deadlines and specific focus on energy transmission and storage, which were not previously required.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases coordination and workload short-term but speeds up future project approvals by reducing NEPA reviews.
- Citizens and industry: Could accelerate clean energy infrastructure (e.g., grid upgrades, batteries), potentially lowering energy costs and improving reliability; may reduce delays for utilities and developers.
- No direct international relations impact noted.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies: Departments of Energy, Interior, and Agriculture; FERC.
- Energy sector: Utilities, transmission developers, battery storage companies (benefit from faster permitting).
- Environmental groups: May oppose if CEs overlook site-specific risks.
- Congress: Receives report for oversight and potential further legislation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on existing NEPA authority (42 U.S.C. 4336c and 4332(2)(C)); adoptions must include consultation to ensure validity, reducing challenge risks, but broad CEs could face lawsuits over environmental protections.
- Constitutional: No direct issues; aligns with Congress's authority over federal procedures.
- Political: Promotes "commonsense" deregulation for energy infrastructure, potentially bipartisan appeal for grid modernization amid climate and energy security goals.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-13: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 2026-04-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Commonsense Review Act — issued 2026-04-13 — PDF (4 pages)