U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ted Budd have introduced the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act, aimed at reforming the federal permitting process. The current system is criticized for being ambiguous, time-consuming, and costly. The proposed legislation suggests a “permit by rule” approach to streamline approvals through specific written standards.
Senator Lummis commented on the issue, stating that under the Biden administration, the permitting process has become “woefully backlogged and incredibly difficult to navigate,” which she believes discourages investment and innovation. She advocates for the new approach to address these challenges.
Senator Budd highlighted that the existing process is often “slow, expensive, and confusing.” He recalled President Trump’s directive for federal agencies to consider a ‘permit by rule’ system in his Unleashing American Energy Executive Order. Budd supports making this policy permanent to reduce delays and compliance costs while fostering a transparent regulatory environment.
Representative Celeste Maloy also expressed concerns about slow permit granting by executive agencies, particularly in rapidly growing states like Utah where much land is federally controlled. Maloy emphasized the need for reform and praised efforts initiated by President Trump through executive order.
The legislation has gained additional support from Senators Thom Tillis, Pete Ricketts, Rick Scott, Tim Sheehy, and Representative Celeste Maloy who introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
