A bill to provide for certain energy development, permitting reforms, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- S. 4765
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S2759-2766)
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-13T10:56:25Z
AI-Generated Summary
Let America Build Act of 2026 (S. 4765)
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill aims to accelerate domestic energy production and mineral development by reforming federal leasing, permitting, and regulatory processes for oil, gas, coal, and critical minerals. It seeks to reduce delays from environmental reviews, litigation, and federal oversight while expanding state and tribal roles in decision-making.
Key Provisions Outlined
- Title I – Oil and Gas Leasing and Permitting:
- Reforms onshore leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act by limiting protests, protecting leases from cancellation due to environmental review flaws, and shortening contest filing periods to 60 days.
- Updates offshore leasing under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act with similar protections against lease cancellation and litigation delays.
- Establishes cooperative federalism allowing states to assume exclusive authority for drilling permits, plans, and rights-of-way on federal land, with federal deference to state hydraulic fracturing rules.
- Expedites LNG export approvals by setting a 45-day decision deadline for the Department of Energy after environmental reviews conclude, with automatic approval if deadlines are missed; creates a fast-track process for small-scale exports up to 51.75 billion cubic feet per year.
- Title II – Mineral Leasing and Permitting:
- Requires mineral resource assessments in land use plans and mandates congressional approval for certain land withdrawals.
- Prohibits federal agencies from creating new land designation categories without statutory authorization.
- Streamlines coal leasing by deeming prior environmental assessments sufficient and requiring regular lease offerings.
- Updates critical mineral definitions to include certain fuel minerals and adjusts designation criteria.
- Improves permitting timelines for mineral projects (e.g., 1-year environmental assessments, 2-year impact statements), allows applicant-prepared documents, and limits judicial review to 60 days with strict remand standards.
- Title III – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:
- Narrows NEPA reviews for natural gas and electricity projects by redefining "effects" to exclude upstream/downstream emissions and speculative impacts.
- Enhances interagency coordination with the Commission as sole lead agency, strict schedules, and deference requirements.
- Extends tolling order periods to 60 days and provides de novo review for certain civil penalties.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced
- Amends the Mineral Leasing Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Natural Gas Act, Federal Power Act, and Energy Act of 2020 to limit NEPA applicability, protect approved leases from vacatur, and shift permitting authority to states.
- Shortens judicial review windows, bars lease cancellations based on flawed environmental reviews, and requires congressional joint resolutions for certain withdrawals.
- Modifies FERC processes to exclude social cost metrics and limit alternatives analysis in environmental reviews.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Reduces workload and authority for the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and FERC in permitting and reviews; increases state responsibilities for inspections and enforcement.
- Citizens and economy: May speed energy project approvals, potentially lowering costs and increasing supply, but could reduce federal environmental oversight on federal lands.
- International relations: Facilitates faster LNG exports, which could strengthen U.S. energy trade positions with free-trade agreement partners while excluding sanctioned nations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Energy producers and mineral developers seeking faster approvals.
- State governments gaining permitting authority.
- Federally recognized Indian Tribes regarding hydraulic fracturing on trust lands.
- Federal agencies including the Departments of Interior and Energy, and FERC.
- Congress through new approval requirements for land withdrawals.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Narrows judicial review and NEPA scope, potentially raising questions about compliance with administrative procedure standards.
- Shifts power via cooperative federalism and state deference, altering traditional federal land management roles.
- Requires congressional approval for withdrawals, reinforcing legislative oversight of executive actions.
- Establishes strict timelines and automatic approvals, which could affect due process in environmental and permitting decisions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S2759-2766)
- 2026-06-11: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Let America Build Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-11 — PDF (77 pages)