To amend the Clean Air Act relating to review by the Environmental Protection Agency of proposed legislation.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Joyce of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The RED Tape Act (Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations Act) strips the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to review environmental impact statements for federal projects and to comment on proposed regulations from other federal agencies. Currently, when federal agencies propose major construction projects or new regulations, EPA has the legal authority to review and raise concerns about environmental impacts. This bill eliminates that oversight role.
Who Benefits and How
Federal agencies proposing new regulations benefit by no longer needing EPA review before finalizing rules. Construction companies and developers of federal projects (roads, buildings, energy infrastructure) can proceed faster without waiting for EPA environmental assessments. Oil and gas companies, mining operations, and utility companies operating on federal lands or building pipelines and power plants face fewer hurdles and shorter approval timelines.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The EPA loses a core oversight function it has held since the Clean Air Act was enacted. Environmental advocacy groups lose a key institutional check on potentially harmful federal projects. Communities located near major federal project sites may face increased environmental and health risks from projects that would have received more scrutiny under current law.
Key Provisions
- Removes EPA authority to review environmental impact statements for federal construction projects and major agency actions subject to NEPA
- Eliminates EPA authority to comment on proposed regulations from other federal departments and agencies
- Amends Section 309 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7609) to narrow EPA's inter-agency review powers
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
Eliminates EPA's authority under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act to review environmental impact statements for federal projects and to comment on proposed regulations from other federal agencies.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Reduce regulatory oversight by eliminating EPA's inter-agency review role for environmental matters"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Federal agencies proposing new regulations (reduced EPA scrutiny)
- Federal construction project sponsors (faster approvals without EPA review)
- Industries affected by federal regulations (less environmental review in rulemaking)
Likely Burden Bearers
- EPA (loses oversight authority)
- Environmental advocacy groups (reduced environmental review)
- Communities near federal projects (less environmental scrutiny of impacts)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → EPA Administrator
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The National Environmental Policy Act requirement for environmental impact statements on major federal actions significantly affecting the environment
42 U.S.C. 7609 - Current law requiring EPA to review and comment on environmental impact statements and proposed federal regulations affecting the environment
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