The Interactive Federal Review Act directs the Department of Transportation to promote the use of interactive, cloud-based platforms and high-fidelity digital models (digital twins) in NEPA environmental reviews for highway projects. It defines 'covered projects' as highway projects receiving funding from INFRA, Mega grant, or RAISE programs, and it names the Secretary of Transportation as the key implementer.
The bill requires the Secretary to publish technology-neutral best-practice guidance within 90 days and to select at least 10 covered projects to demonstrate these digital workflows, with priority given to projects that plan to implement the technology. It also calls for a 180-day efficacy report and, within one year, at least five public examples of NEPA documents produced using the new tools.
Finally, the act preserves states' existing authorities under 23 U.S.C. 327 and does not alter those powers.
At a Glance
What It Does
The Secretary must encourage the use of interactive, cloud-based platforms and 3D digital models (digital twins) in NEPA reviews for highway projects and publish a guidance framework within 90 days. The Secretary will demonstrate the approach on at least 10 covered projects and collect data on efficiency and engagement.
Who It Affects
Federal grant recipients and project sponsors for highway projects, state DOTs, local governments involved in INFRA, Mega Grant, or RAISE-funded projects, and environmental review teams within federal agencies and consultants.
Why It Matters
This structure aims to accelerate NEPA analyses, improve public engagement through interactive tools, and create a record of how digital workflows perform in real-world reviews, potentially shaping future federal practice.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The Interactive Federal Review Act seeks to modernize how highway projects are evaluated under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It defines 'covered projects' as highway projects funded through major federal grant programs (INFRA, Mega grant, and RAISE) and directs the Secretary of Transportation to promote the use of digital platforms and high-fidelity digital models—collectively described as digital twins—in environmental analyses and community engagement.
The goal is to make NEPA reviews more efficient and more understandable to the public by leveraging interactive technology and data-rich workflows.
Key responsibilities include publishing technology-neutral best-practice guidance within 90 days of enactment, and selecting at least 10 covered projects to demonstrate these digital approaches. The Secretary must prioritize projects that plan to implement the digital tools.
In addition, the act requires a 180-day report assessing efficacy, including metrics on efficiency and community engagement, and it calls for the publication of at least five examples of NEPA documents developed using these tools within one year. Importantly, the act preserves state authority under 23 U.S.C. 327, ensuring no preemption of existing state roles in project delivery.Overall, the bill seeks to create a proof-of-concept and data-driven baseline for using digital engineering tools in federal environmental reviews, while providing a path for broader adoption if the demonstrations prove effective.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill defines 'covered project' as highway projects receiving INFRA, Mega Grant, or RAISE funding.
Not less than 10 covered projects must be selected to demonstrate the use of digital platforms and digital twins in NEPA analysis.
Guidance to encourage digital platform and digital twin use must be published within 90 days of enactment.
A 180-day report on efficacy, including efficiency gains and community engagement metrics, is required, with at least 5 published examples within one year.
The act preserves state authorities under 23 U.S.C. 327 and does not modify those responsibilities.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Definitions and purposes for digital NEPA reviews
This subsection defines 'covered project' as highway projects funded by INFRA, Mega Grant, or RAISE programs and identifies the 'Secretary' as the Administrator of the Federal Transportation program. It establishes the section’s twin aims: expediting federal environmental reviews and improving public understanding through interactive engagement.
Encouraged use of digital platforms and digital twins
The Secretary is directed to encourage the use of interactive, cloud-based platforms and high-fidelity digital models (digital twins) in NEPA analyses. A technology-neutral best-practice guidance framework must be published within 90 days to promote adoption by project sponsors receiving federal funds.
Demonstration projects and prioritization
The Secretary must select at least 10 covered projects to demonstrate the use of these tools in environmental impact analyses and stakeholder engagement. Additional eligible projects can be included upon sponsor request. Priority is given to applications proposing robust implementation plans for these tools.
Reporting and public examples
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary must report on the efficacy of digital NEPA methods, including efficiency and engagement metrics, and examples of five NEPA documents produced with digital tools within one year.
Savings provision
The section includes a savings clause clarifying that nothing in this act affects or interferes with state authorities or responsibilities assumed under 23 U.S.C. 327.
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Explore Infrastructure in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Department of Transportation and its program offices benefit from a clearer, data-driven NEPA workflow and demonstrable efficiency gains.
- State Departments of Transportation benefit from federal guidance and demonstrated blueprints that can be adapted to state processes.
- Project sponsors pursuing INFRA, Mega Grant, or RAISE funding gain a clearer path to implement digital NEPA tools and potentially faster approvals.
- Local communities and stakeholder groups benefit from more transparent, interactive engagement mechanisms during environmental reviews.
- Environmental consulting firms and technology vendors gain new demand for digital platforms, data workflows, and visualization tools.
Who Bears the Cost
- DOT and federal agencies may incur upfront costs for guidance development, monitoring, and evaluation of new digital workflows.
- State DOTs and local agencies will need to invest in IT infrastructure, training, and interoperability with cloud-based platforms.
- Project sponsors may face procurement costs for digital platforms, data integration, and staff training to use the new tools.
- Environmental review teams may require capacity-building to adopt data-rich workflows and manage longer digital datasets.
- Public-facing agencies must ensure accessibility and cybersecurity for digital engagement platforms, potentially adding ongoing costs.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing the potential efficiency and engagement gains from digital NEPA tools with the costs, capacity constraints, and equity concerns associated with rolling out new technology across diverse states and projects.
The bill’s push for digital NEPA workflows creates practical benefits—faster reviews, clearer data, and better stakeholder engagement—but it also raises implementation questions. Realizing the promised efficiencies hinges on interoperability across agencies, funding for IT upgrades, and the personnel capacity to manage new digital-to-analytical processes.
There is a risk that limited access to digital tools could widen participation gaps for some communities, unless accessibility and training are embedded in the guidance and implementation. The success of the demonstrations will also depend on consistent data standards and meaningful metrics that reflect both process speed and environmental protections.
Unfunded mandates or uneven adoption across states could create uneven outcomes, even as the federal government offers a path for broader use.
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