To exempt from the requirements of NEPA the provision of certain assistance for the construction or modification of residential housing on infill sites, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Vindman (for himself, Mr. Flood, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill exempts certain USDA rural housing assistance programs from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review requirements when funding construction or modifications of homes on infill sites. Infill sites are already-developed land served by existing water, sewer, and road infrastructure - not undeveloped farmland, woodland, or areas at high risk for wildfires or flooding. The goal is to speed up housing construction in rural areas by reducing regulatory delays.
Who Benefits and How
Rural housing developers and builders benefit from faster approval timelines and reduced administrative costs for projects on infill sites. The USDA Rural Development programs (Section 502, 515, 538 loans, etc.) can process applications more quickly. Rural homebuyers and renters benefit from potentially faster access to affordable housing. Land owners with infill sites gain increased development opportunities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Environmental review is bypassed for qualifying projects, which means environmental impacts on infill sites may receive less scrutiny. The Secretary of Agriculture must prepare a report to Congress within 5 years analyzing whether the exemption reduced review times and costs. Projects in high-risk flood/wildfire zones and on undeveloped greenfield land remain subject to NEPA requirements.
Key Provisions
- Exempts USDA housing programs (Sections 501, 502, 504, 515, 533, 538) from NEPA for infill site projects
- Defines infill sites as land with existing water, sewer, AND road infrastructure
- Excludes greenfields, sites served only by roads, and high-risk flood/wildfire areas
- Requires 5-year USDA report to Congress on program effectiveness
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Exempts USDA rural housing assistance programs from NEPA environmental review requirements when providing funding for construction or modification of residential housing on infill sites (already-developed land with existing infrastructure).
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Reduce regulatory burden on rural housing development by exempting NEPA reviews for projects on already-developed land while maintaining protections for undeveloped and high-risk areas."
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A site that has not been developed, including woodland, farmland, and an open field.
A site that is served by existing infrastructure including water lines, sewer lines, and roads; excludes sites with only road access, high-risk flood/wildfire zones per FEMA National Risk Index, and greenfields.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology