To require the Secretary of the Army to issue guidance relating to the review of applications for alteration or temporary or permanent occupation or use of certain hydropower projects, and for other purposes.

Increased Predictability for Hydropower Operators: By requiring a standardized checklist of required materials and clear completeness criteria, the bill provides more certainty for those applying to alter or use hydropower projects (Section 1(b)(1)(A) and (B)).

Clearer Timelines and Processes: The mandate for phased review procedures, including specific scopes and timelines, provides a clearer roadmap for the application process (Section 1(b)(1)(C)).

Accountability for Delays: The requirement for escalation procedures ensures that if a deadline for an application is not met, the matter can be referred to higher-ranking officials at the Corps of Engineers (Section 1(b)(1)(D)).

Limitation of Scope: The bill prevents the completeness review from being delayed by detailed technical analysis or engineering judgments, which limits the scope of what the Secretary can do during that specific phase (Section 1(b)(1)(C)(iv) and Section 1(b)(3)).

Restrictions on Environmental Oversight: The bill prohibits the Secretary from requiring compliance with any environmental standard that was not established by a Federal or relevant State agency before the date the application was submitted (Section 1(b)(3)(E)).

Limitations on Technical Review: The bill prevents the Secretary from conducting detailed technical reviews of engineering calculations or evaluating the adequacy of a project's design during the completeness review phase (Section 1(b)(3)(A) and (B)).

Restrictions on Project Modifications: The Secretary is prohibited from requesting any design modifications or additional analyses of the hydropower project while conducting a completeness review (Section 1(b)(3)(C)).