House Panel Approves Amendment to Expedite Permitting Process

Legislative
Published

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today approved an NAHB-supported amendment to the Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act (H.R. 7023) that includes five bills aimed at providing the necessary clarity and confidence needed under the Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting process.

Prior to the committee vote, NAHB sent a letter to lawmakers stating that the home building industry faces “an unpredictable regulatory landscape that hamstrings our members from building affordable housing.”

We further noted that the amendment to H.R. 7023 respects environmental protections and provides pragmatic solutions to the CWA Section 404 dredge and fill permit program, Section 402 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, and Section 304(a) water quality criteria.

Specifically, the amendment adds the following five bills into H.R. 7023:

  • The Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act. Home builders pull some of the highest numbers of 404 Nationwide Permits (NWPs) issued annually. To assist with planning and permit backlogs, this legislation extends the duration of an NWP and streamlines the reissuance process.
  • The Reducing Permitting Uncertainty Act. This bill focuses on providing a defined timeline to when the EPA may veto a 404 permit. Having this predictability will allow home builders to reliably proceed with construction once a permit is granted.
  • The Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act. Home builders complying with 404 permits require a level of certainty that their activity will not come to an abrupt halt because of capricious judicial reviews. Placing sensible timelines on when these actions may be filed will foster certitude when undertaking resource intensive projects.
  • The Water Quality Criteria Development and Transparency Act. NAHB welcomes the opportunity this legislation provides to submit comments on Section 304(a) water quality criteria. This will enable a more collaborative approach when developing crucial water standards.
  • The Confidence in Clean Water Permits Act. NAHB worked with lawmakers to add specific language to this bill that would not affect how home builders use best management practices when managing stormwater runoff from construction sites. This bill provides assurances to home builders that complying with their permits won’t include vague water quality standards, nor impose unobtainable numeric discharge limits.

The home building industry requires confidence in the CWA permitting process. Jointly, these legislative instruments respect environmental safeguards and make significant strides in ensuring clarity.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Sep 17, 2025

Housing Starts Remain Soft Ahead of Fed Meeting

Overall housing starts decreased 8.5% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.31 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.

PWB Week | Professional Women in Building Council

Sep 16, 2025

Tradeswomen Paving Their Own Way

NAHB spoke with Professional Women in Building (PWB) members Elyse Adams and Brittney Quinn about their career paths in the trades and how PWB has positively influenced their journeys.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Sep 17, 2025

The Fed Cuts and Projects More Easing to Come

After a monetary policy pause that began at the start of 2025, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee (FOMC) voted to reduce the short-term federal funds rate by 25 basis points at the conclusion of its September meeting. This move decreased the target federal funds rate to an upper rate of 4.25%.

Economics

Sep 17, 2025

Housing Starts Remain Soft Ahead of Fed Meeting

Challenging affordability conditions continue to act as headwinds for the housing industry, but the sector could see lower interest rates in the near future with the Federal Reserve expected to cut short-term interest rates this afternoon.

Economics

Sep 16, 2025

Builder Confidence Steady but Future Sales Expectations Hit Six-Month High

Builder sentiment levels remained unchanged in September but lower mortgage rates and expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon cut the federal funds rate led to higher future sale expectations in the coming months.