PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 11, 2021
Undoing NEPA’s Substantial Harm by Advancing Concepts that Kickstart the Liberation of the Economy Act or the UNSHACKLE Act
This bill revises the environmental review process required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), including by
establishing deadlines for federal agencies to complete reviews of the environmental effects of proposed major federal actions;
establishing penalties for agencies that do not comply with these deadlines;
limiting the number of assessment documents required for proposed major federal actions, requiring agencies to reuse certain research or documents, and allowing agencies to adopt environmental documents prepared by states or third parties;
requiring agencies to only consider alternatives to proposed actions that are technically and economically feasible;
prohibiting agencies from considering whether proposed actions or alternatives to those actions will have an effect on climate change; and
establishing requirements concerning the judicial review of NEPA cases.
People & committees
Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] · R–UT
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze S.717 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.
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