FCC Will Vote on NEPA Reform at August Meeting

July 17, 2025 - WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, President Trump Appointed FCC Chairman Carr released the following:

Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency will vote on a plan to accelerate infrastructure builds by modernizing the Commission’s environmental regulations.  As part of President Trump’s federal government-wide effort to expedite and simplify permitting processes that can hinder economic development, infrastructure investment, and job creation, the FCC will examine its regulatory regime under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to ensure it aligns with federal environmental statutes and precedent that prioritize efficiency and certainty.

Chairman Carr issued the following statement:

“The FCC’s Build America Agenda aims to unleash new infrastructure projects in communities all across the country.  To do that, the FCC cannot let red tape and permitting obstacles stand in the way.  As President Trump, the Supreme Court, and Congress have recognized, NEPA is one of the biggest obstacles to building in America.  It should not take years to complete pre-construction environmental paperwork before a shovel hits the ground.  The time is ripe for the FCC to review and rewrite our NEPA rules from first principles.”

Additional Background:

Chairman Carr today shared this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with his colleagues for consideration at the Commission’s August 7, 2025 Open Meeting.  If adopted, the Notice would examine the Commission’s environmental regulations to ensure they comport with the amended NEPA statute, accelerate the federal permitting process, further a national priority of faster and more infrastructure deployment, and ensure that the Commission’s regulations are clear.

The Commission would seek comment on the meaning of “major federal action”—a statutory prerequisite to trigger federal agencies’ NEPA obligations—as it applies to the Commission’s actions.  It seeks comment on how the definition should be applied to the Commission’s regulations and on what changes, if any, are needed to bring the regulations in line with the best reading of the amended major federal action definition and its enumerated exceptions. 

The Notice will also take a fresh look at its National Historic Preservation Act regulations and seek comment on other aspects of its environmental regulations.  
Source: FCC