Home Builders, Developers Score Key Wins in House Passage of Interior-Environment Spending Bill
NAHB and Florida home builders posted key wins after the House passed its Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025.
The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) took the lead in working with NAHB to add an amendment to the spending bill that would codify Florida’s wetlands permitting program. Florida’s Section 404 permitting program under the Clean Water Act (CWA) was granted in 2020 but was divested this year due to a legal case.
FHBA members lobbied Congress to restore the program during NAHB’s June 12 Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The concerted lobbying efforts by FHBA members and NAHB to reinstate this permitting provision paid off with this key amendment added to the House’s Interior-Environment spending bill.
NAHB also secured language in the spending bill that would require the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“the Agencies”) to publicly release any guidance documents related to the implementation of the amended 2023 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
This information is vital for builders and developers seeking federal permit approval because of the Agencies’ failure to define key regulatory terms in its final WOTUS rule. This uncertainty regarding which waters are subject to federal jurisdiction sets the stage for continued federal overreach, bureaucratic delays during the wetlands permitting process, and regulatory confusion for home builders and land developers.
Last fall, NAHB filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking various documents concerning the implementation of the WOTUS, but NAHB received an unsatisfactory response from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — which contained mostly reams of redacted information.
Finally, NAHB was also able to insert legislative language in the Interior-Environment appropriations bill concerning the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This language would withhold funds from the Biden administration to implement and enforce a deeply problematic ESA rule, which imposes mandatory compensatory mitigation for impacts to habitat of federally protected species during the ESA Section 7 consultation.
Latest from NAHBNow
Oct 28, 2025
NAHB Urges Quick Confirmation of Frank Cassidy as FHA CommissionerNAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes issued the following statement today in support of Frank Cassidy to serve as the next Federal Housing Administration commissioner and assistant secretary of housing.
Oct 28, 2025
How COVID-19 Reshaped the U.S. Labor MarketBetween February 2020 and June 2022, the U.S. labor market experienced the deepest downturn and fastest rebound in a century. The global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the economy, causing an unprecedented shutdown and record job loss across all industries. However, the labor market was still able to recover remarkably quickly, and this rebound continues to shape today’s employment trends and the broader economy.
Latest Economic News
Oct 28, 2025
Home Price Growth SlowsHome prices in August grew at the lowest annual rate in over two years, according to the recent release of the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index (seasonally adjusted – SA).
Oct 27, 2025
Two-Story Foyer Trend Stabilizes in 2024In 2024, nearly a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer, virtually unchanged from 2023, according to data obtained from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB.
Oct 24, 2025
Inflation Picks Up in SeptemberInflation increased in September to the fastest pace since the start of the year, showing tariff pressure on prices continues to materialize gradually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest report.