Rep. Hurd’s Jurisdictional Determination Backlog Reduction Act Passes House as Part of PERMIT Act

December 16, 2025 Press Release WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Jeff Hurd’s Jurisdictional Determination Backlog Reduction Act passed the House as part of the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act. The PERMIT Act combines targeted reforms to the Clean Water Act permitting processes to cut red tape, reduce duplicative reviews, and provide greater regulatory certainty while maintaining water quality protections. The Jurisdictional Determination Backlog Reduction Act requires the Army Corps of Engineers to allocate necessary resources to eliminate the existing backlog of thousands of pending jurisdictional determinations and Section 404 permit applications. Farmers, ranchers, small business owners, energy providers, and builders rely on timely jurisdictional determinations to know whether their projects require Clean Water Act permits. The Corps’ current backlog has left thousands of projects in regulatory limbo, adding costs and delays. “ Delays in permit approvals are stalling key infrastructure projects in Colorado and across the nation,” said Rep. Hurd. “ My bill requires the Army Corps to clear this backlog so communities can get moving on critical projects without unnecessary delays. I’m proud this important legislation passed with the PERMIT Act today, and I’m grateful to Chairman Graves and Chairman Collins for their leadership on cutting red tape that prevents America from building. ” The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. Read the full bill here. ### Issues : Transportation and Infrastructure Water