S.Amdt. 4355

SA 4355, submitted by Mr. Ricketts, aims to change how the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) applies to certain housing assistance. It proposes to add a section to H.R. 6644, a bill focused on increasing the supply of housing in America.

The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that providing assistance for the construction or modification of residential housing on an infill site may not be seen as a major Federal action under NEPA.

The amendment defines an infill site as a site served by existing infrastructure like roads, sewer lines, and water lines. It specifically excludes the following from being an infill site:

• Greenfields, which are undeveloped sites such as open fields, farmland, and woodland.
• Sites where the only existing infrastructure is a road.
• Sites in census tracts designated by FEMA as having relatively high or very high risk for riverine flooding, coastal flooding, and wildfire.

Additionally, the amendment requires the Secretary of Agriculture to give Congress a report within 5 years. This report must:

• Determine if the section reduced administrative costs and the time it takes to review assistance applications.
• Describe the effect on the affordable housing sector in rural America.
• Provide recommendations for future congressional action on NEPA exemptions or categorical exclusions related to this assistance.

Finally, this section does not affect any legal requirements other than those under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.