PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1032-1033)
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Kiley, Kevin [R-CA-3] · R–CA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1032-1033)
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Feb 21, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.1874 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.1874 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.1874 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.1874 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.
PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-05 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The bill would automatically treat coastal states as agreeing to certain findings that activities meet state coastal-management requirements. It would cover national security activities and qualifying infrastructure, disaster-related, and economic activities. State objections could not delay or stop those activities under this provision. The Secretary could remove the automatic agreement within a 30-day review window upon finding that an activity does not qualify.
Except as provided in paragraph (3), with respect to a covered activity, a coastal state shall be conclusively presumed to concur with—
The term covered activity means— (i) a national security activity; (ii) a critical infrastructure project; (iii) a disaster recovery or mitigation activity; or (iv) an activity with a significant national or regional economic impact.
An objection or other challenge by a coastal state to an activity subject to a conclusive presumption of concurrence under paragraph (1) may not delay or otherwise prevent the activity from proceeding.
Not later than 30 days after the Secretary receives a consistency determination, certification, or other relevant finding under this section, the Secretary may issue a written determination with respect to an activity subject to a conclusive presumption of concurrence under paragraph (1) that nullifies the conclusive presumption of concurrence if the Secretary finds that the activity is not a covered activity.
The bill would add a new subsection to section 307 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. For covered activities, automatic state agreement would apply to specified federal agency findings, applicant certifications, and state or local government findings accompanying applications for federal assistance. These concern consistency—agreement with the enforceable policies of the state's approved coastal-management program.
Section 307 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1456) is amended by adding at the end: (j) Conclusive presumption for certain activities
(A) a consistency determination provided to the coastal state by a Federal agency under subsection (c)(1)(C); (B) a determination or other finding of a Federal agency under subsection (c)(2) that a development project in the coastal zone of the coastal state is consistent with the enforceable policies of the approved state management program of the coastal state; (C) a certification provided to the coastal state by an applicant under subsection (c)(3)(A) or person under subsection (c)(3)(B); and (D) a determination or other finding of a State or local government under subsection (d) that an application for Federal assistance submitted by such State or local government is consistent with the enforceable policies of the approved state management program of the coastal state.
A coastal state's objection or other challenge could not delay or prevent an activity from proceeding while that activity is subject to automatic state agreement.
An objection or other challenge by a coastal state to an activity subject to a conclusive presumption of concurrence under paragraph (1) may not delay or otherwise prevent the activity from proceeding.
The Secretary could issue a written decision removing automatic state agreement upon finding that the activity does not qualify. The deadline would be 30 days after the Secretary receives the relevant determination, certification, or finding. If the Secretary does not issue that decision in time, automatic state agreement would become final and binding.
Not later than 30 days after the Secretary receives a consistency determination, certification, or other relevant finding under this section, the Secretary may issue a written determination with respect to an activity subject to a conclusive presumption of concurrence under paragraph (1) that nullifies the conclusive presumption of concurrence if the Secretary finds that the activity is not a covered activity.
If the Secretary does not issue a written determination under subparagraph (A) with respect to an activity subject to a conclusive presumption of concurrence under paragraph (1) within the time period described in that subparagraph, the conclusive presumption of concurrence shall be final and binding.
National security activities would qualify when carried out by or on behalf of the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, or the intelligence community. The bill incorporates the intelligence-community definition from the National Security Act of 1947.
The term covered activity means— (i) a national security activity;
The term intelligence community has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003).
The term national security activity means an activity that is carried out by or on behalf of— (i) the Department of Defense; (ii) the Department of Homeland Security; or (iii) the intelligence community.
Infrastructure projects would qualify if federally authorized or funded, wholly or partly, and connected to critical infrastructure in one of three ways: planning, construction, maintenance, or improvement; an associated facility or activity; or an essential material or asset. The bill takes the definitions of critical infrastructure and its sectors from other laws without reproducing them.
The term covered activity means— (i) a national security activity; (ii) a critical infrastructure project;
The term critical infrastructure project means any project— (i) that is authorized or funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government; and (ii) that involves— (I) the planning, construction, maintenance, or improvement of critical infrastructure; (II) a facility or an activity associated with any critical infrastructure sectors; or (III) a material or asset that is essential to the operation, maintenance, or development of critical infrastructure.
The term critical infrastructure has the meaning given the term in section 1016(e) of the USA PATRIOT Act (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).
The term critical infrastructure sectors has the meaning given the term in section 2001 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601).
Disaster-related activities would qualify if federally authorized or funded, wholly or partly, and undertaken to prevent, prepare for, respond to, recover from, or reduce the effects of emergencies or major disasters. Coverage would also include other incidents or threats that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Administrator determines pose a significant risk to public health, safety, or property. The emergency and major-disaster definitions come from the Stafford Act.
The term covered activity means— (i) a national security activity; (ii) a critical infrastructure project; (iii) a disaster recovery or mitigation activity;
The term disaster recovery or mitigation activity means an activity— (i) that is authorized or funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government; and (ii) that is carried out to prevent, prepare for, respond to, recover from, or mitigate the effects of— (I) an emergency; (II) a major disaster; or (III) any other incident or threat that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency determines poses a significant risk to public health, safety, or property.
The terms emergency and major disaster have such meanings given such terms in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
The economic category would cover federally authorized or funded activities carried out in an area meeting either the bill's income test or its unemployment test. Although the category is called an activity with a 'significant national or regional economic impact,' its definition uses those eligibility conditions rather than requiring a separate demonstration of economic impact.
The term covered activity means— (i) a national security activity; (ii) a critical infrastructure project; (iii) a disaster recovery or mitigation activity; or (iv) an activity with a significant national or regional economic impact.
The term activity with a significant national or regional economic impact means an activity— (i) that is authorized or funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government; and (ii) that is carried out in— (I) an area with a low per capita income; or (II) an area with a high unemployment rate.
An area would meet the unemployment test if its rate for the most recent available 24-month period is at least 1 percentage point above the national average for that period. The Secretary would use the latest available data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or another appropriate federal source. Appropriate state-agency data could be used if recent federal data is unavailable.
The term area with a high unemployment rate means an area where the unemployment rate, for the most recent 24-month period for which data is available, is at least 1 percentage point higher than the national average unemployment rate for such period, as determined by the Secretary using the most recent data available from— (i) the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce; (ii) the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor; (iii) another Federal source the Secretary determines appropriate; or (iv) if no recent Federal data is available, data from the State agencies of such area the Secretary determines appropriate.
For the income test, the bill describes income per person as 'not more than 20 percent less than' the national average. That wording should not be replaced with 'at least 20 percent below.' The Secretary would determine eligibility using the latest available Bureau of Economic Analysis data or another appropriate federal source.
The term area with low per capita income means an area where the per capita income is not more than 20 percent less than the national average per capita income, as determined by the Secretary using the most recent data available from— (i) the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce; or (ii) another Federal source the Secretary determines appropriate.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated February 21, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Natural Resources on March 5, 2025, followed by sponsor introductory remarks on March 6, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-02-21T17:27:17Z. 2025-03-06: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1032-1033) 2025-03-05: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 2025-03-05: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-05. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. This conclusion does not establish the absence of riders in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. This is not a determination about other versions or accompanying earmark materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow beneficiary-specific carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. The eligibility categories define the main policy's broad coverage. This conclusion is limited to this version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Feb 21, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI