APWA Tells U.S. House Panel SPEED Act is ‘Sincere Attempt’ to Continue Streamlining, Permitting Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington D.C.—The world’s largest organization of public works professionals today urged a U.S. Congressional committee to continue streamlining reforms and adopt legislation that would help state and local agencies deliver infrastructure projects faster, more cost-effectively, and with fewer delays.

American Public Works Association 2024/2025 President Dominick Longobardi told the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources today the “Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization,” or SPEED Act, would be a “logical progression” of the streamlining reforms accomplished in the Fiscal Responsibility and FAST acts.

“Protecting a framework that incorporates the institutional knowledge of local experts, such as public works professionals, ensures that a project can be implemented quickly, with community buy-in, minimizing the chance of litigation, and enhancing the quality of life we all work hard for and cherish,” said Longobardi, who also is the deputy town comptroller and director of purchasing for the Town of Hempstead, NY.

Longobardi told the committee the association believes the SPEED Act is a sincere attempt to continue streamlining efforts.

Specifically, Longobardi said APWA supports the provisions in the bill that:

• Define “reasonably foreseeable” as being in the area directly affected by a major Federal action, directly under the control of the agency, and having a reasonably close causal relationship between a change in the environment and the project,
• Ensure project comments are directly related to the proposed action and are within the scope of agency jurisdiction and limit the standing for civil action to those who have substantively participated in that public comment period, and
• Establish a statute of limitations for NEPA cases in line with other environmental laws and create maximum timelines for judicial review.

The SPEED Act would help communities throughout America save tax dollars while also balancing environmental stewardship with practical reforms that streamline project delivery.

“The longer it takes for construction on a project to start, the higher the cost for labor and materials. I equate major projects to the same thing as redoing your kitchen at home: the longer you wait, the more it costs,” Longobardi said. “Over time, new requirements, such as updated building codes and changing regulatory requirements increase project costs.”

This is the American Public Works Association’s third appearance before the House Committee on Natural Resources to discuss permitting reforms. APWA will continue to work with Congress to ensure infrastructure investments reach communities without unnecessary delays or costs.