On December 19, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Simplifying Permitting and Expediting Environmental Development (SPEED) Act, marking a significant step toward resolving one of the biggest obstacles facing domestic mining: the federal permitting process.
Currently, obtaining all necessary permits for a new mining operation in the United States takes an average of 7 to 10 years — compared to 2 to 3 years in Canada and Australia. This disparity has been widely cited as a major reason the U.S. has failed to develop its substantial mineral resources, even as demand for critical minerals has surged.
The SPEED Act consolidates and streamlines environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), establishes firm timelines for agency decisions, and designates critical mineral projects as priorities for expedited review. Key provisions include:
- A two-year deadline for Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for critical mineral projects
- Designation of a single lead agency to coordinate multi-agency reviews
- Page limits on environmental review documents to prevent indefinite delays
- Judicial reform to limit legal challenges that have historically stalled projects for years
The bill was championed by the House Committee on Natural Resources under Chairman Bruce Westerman, who called it “essential legislation to unleash America’s mineral resources and end our dependence on adversarial nations.”
The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council reported in November 2025 that 50 mining and infrastructure projects had already received expedited Council benefits, with six completing federal permitting entirely — demonstrating that reform can work.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces a more complex path but has bipartisan support given the national security implications of continued mineral import dependence. Industry groups including the National Mining Association have called it the most consequential mining legislation in decades.