John P. Smith Act
- Last Action
- 11/30/2017
Actions
- 2017-11-30Held at the desk.
- 2017-11-30Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- 2017-11-30Received in the House.
- 2017-11-29Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7490-7491; text: CR S7490-7491)
- 2017-11-29Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7490-7491; text: CR S7490-7491)
- 2017-04-06Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 33.
- 2017-04-06Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven without amendment. With written report No. 115-27.
- 2017-04-06Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven without amendment. With written report No. 115-27.
- 2017-02-08Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported favorably.
- 2017-02-03Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S680-681)
- 2017-02-03Introduced in Senate
CRS Summary
As of 2017-11-29 (82)
John P. Smith Act
(Sec. 3) This bill modifies the approval process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for tribal transportation safety projects to categorically exclude qualifying projects from requirements to conduct environmental assessments and environmental impact statements. A tribal transportation safety project is one that is eligible for assistance under the tribal transportation program and that: (1) corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature, or (2) addresses a highway safety problem.
The Department of the Interior must: (1) review existing Federal Highway Administration categorical exclusions to determine applicability to tribal transportation program projects, and (2) identify tribal transportation safety projects that meet general categorical exclusion requirements. Interior must establish categorical exclusions for tribal projects consistent with its findings.
The bill prescribes requirements for the expedited review and approval of tribal transportation safety projects under NEPA or other federal laws.
(Sec. 4) Interior must enter into five-year programmatic agreements with Indian tribes that establish efficient administrative procedures for carrying out environmental reviews for tribal transportation program projects. An agreement may allow a tribe to determine whether a project is categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or impact statement under NEPA.
Cosponsors (2)
- Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- MICHAEL ENZI (R-WY)
Subjects
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Congressional oversight
- Department of the Interior
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Federal-Indian relations
- Government information and archives
- Indian lands and resources rights
- Land use and conservation
- Motor carriers
- Pedestrians and bicycling
- Railroads
- Roads and highways
- Transportation programs funding
- Transportation safety and security
Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.