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.

Key Points

• This bill requires the Army Corps of Engineers to create a clear checklist for people who want to build or change hydropower projects. Right now, the process can be confusing and slow. By making a standard list of what is needed, the government hopes to make the application process faster and more predictable.
• The Army Corps must define exactly what makes an application complete. This includes specific documents, formats, and proof that the project follows energy licenses. Having these rules in writing helps project owners know exactly what they need to submit before they start the process.
• A major part of this bill stops the government from doing deep technical reviews during the first step of the process. Officials will only check to see if all the paperwork is there. They cannot ask for design changes or new math calculations until after they confirm the application is complete.
• If the Army Corps misses a deadline for reviewing a project, the bill creates a way to move the application up to higher ranking officials. This keeps the process moving and prevents projects from getting stuck in a single office for too long. Goodlander and Miller introduced this to help modernize energy infrastructure.

Impact Analysis

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