The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act was enacted on December 4, 2015. Title 41 of that act (FAST-41) established new coordination and oversight procedures for infrastructure projects being reviewed by federal agencies. FAST-41 is intended to: 

  • improve early consultation and coordination among government agencies;
  • increase transparency through the publication of project-specific timetables with completion dates for all federal authorizations and environmental reviews; and
  • increase accountability through consultation and reporting on projects.

FAST-41 established the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC), composed of agency representatives from the: Department of Energy; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Department of Agriculture; Department of Commerce; Department of Defense; Army Corps of Engineers; Department of Homeland Security; Department of Housing and Urban Development; Department of Interior; Department of Transportation; Environmental Protection Agency; Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; Council on Environmental Quality; Office of Management and Budget; and General Services Administration. More information about FPISC can be found on the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard.

To be eligible for FAST-41, a proposal must meet the definition of a “covered project” under the statute. A covered project is one that: (1) is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); (2) is likely to require a total investment of more than $200,000,000; and (3) does not qualify for abbreviated authorization or environmental review processes under any applicable law. 

To become a covered project under FAST-41, project sponsors need to submit a FAST-41 Initiation Notice (FIN) with information described in the FAST Act. Instructions for applicants to submit a FIN for their project are available at Becoming a FAST-41 Covered Project.The FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard, including a list of covered projects, can be found HERE

The Office of the Executive Director of FPISC maintains the Federal Environmental Review and Authorization Inventory on the Permitting Dashboard. The inventory contains a comprehensive list of Federal licenses, permits, approvals, findings, determinations, or other administrative decisions issued by a Federal agency that should be considered for inclusion in the permitting timetable for a covered project under FAST-41. The inventory can be viewed and downloaded as either an Excel file or PDF. For information on DOE authorizations currently on the Inventory, visit the DOE Authorizations Currently on the Federal Environmental Review and Authorization Inventory page.

For more information, please contact FAST41Initiation@hq.doe.gov.