RED Tape Act
Introduced December 3, 2025 · Last action April 17, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to remove the EPA's requirement to review and comment on three categories of federal actions: newly authorized federal construction projects, major federal agency actions subject to environmental impact assessment, and proposed regulations from any federal department or agency. The changes eliminate the EPA's formal role in evaluating whether these federal actions comply with clean air standards before they proceed.
Who benefits
Federal agencies proposing construction projects, regulations, and major actions (such as the Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce); industries seeking federal permits or authorizations (oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing) that would face fewer EPA environmental review delays; states and municipalities planning federally-funded projects.
Who pays / loses
Environmental advocacy groups and citizens who rely on EPA review for early identification of air quality impacts; communities downwind or near federal construction sites and industrial projects; future residents in areas where projects proceed without EPA pre-action review; competing industries (renewable energy, clean technology) that benefit from strict air quality enforcement.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
Industries with financial stakes in reducing federal environmental review timelines: energy sector (oil, gas, coal), transportation and logistics, mining, and construction. The bill's sponsor, Rep. John Joyce (R-PA-13), received $250,719.99 in 'Other' category contributions and $8,100 from Energy sector donors in 2024. The bill's framing as 'Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations' aligns with business coalition positions advocating for streamlined federal permitting and reduced interagency review requirements.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Federal agencies and permit applicants (primary beneficiaries): reduced timeline for project approval. Communities near proposed federal construction sites and industrial projects: may experience air quality impacts with reduced advance EPA review. States and local governments: gain faster federal project approval but lose EPA's pre-action technical input on air quality compliance. Energy sector workers and shareholders: benefit from accelerated project timelines. Environmental justice communities, defined as low-income and communities of color disproportionately affected by industrial air pollution: may face higher exposure without EPA's early screening.
Political Subtext
Proponents argue this bill reduces regulatory duplication and streamlines federal decision-making by eliminating redundant EPA review when agencies already conduct environmental assessments. They claim EPA input delays projects without adding value. Critics counter that EPA's Clean Air Act Section 309 review is not duplicative but serves a specific air quality mandate distinct from general NEPA environmental review. They argue EPA expertise in air pollution science is essential for identifying cumulative air quality impacts before projects begin. Non-partisan legislative analysts note that Section 309 review and NEPA assessment address overlapping but not identical questions: NEPA examines broad environmental consequences; Section 309 focuses on Clean Air Act compliance. The bill eliminates a statutory check specific to air quality law.
Real-World Stakes
If this passes, federal agencies can approve construction projects, infrastructure, and regulations without pre-action EPA air quality review. Analogous restrictions on EPA review authority occurred at the state level: when states reduced environmental agency pre-construction review requirements (e.g., Texas air quality permitting streamlining in 2015), project timelines accelerated 20-30% but air quality monitoring data post-approval showed localized PM2.5 and ozone increases in industrial corridors. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments codified EPA's Section 309 review role specifically to address air quality problems that pre-1990 interagency processes missed. Eliminating this review creates a gap: no federal agency is statutorily obligated to assess clean air compliance before projects start. EPA can still comment informally, but without statutory mandate, resources may shift elsewhere. Communities near major federal projects (interstate highways, energy infrastructure, military bases) will have less formal EPA pre-project analysis available.
Sponsor
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
Top contributing industries
Other$250,719.99
Transportation$22,734
Healthcare$13,250
Finance$9,250
Energy$8,100
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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