H.R. 6398 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Apr 16, 2026. Received Apr 17, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRemoves EPA review step for federal projects
The EPA currently has to review and comment on large federal construction projects and other major federal actions, even when those projects have already gone through environmental review under a different law called NEPA. This bill would remove that EPA review requirement, so federal projects would skip that extra step.
How it affects you
This mainly affects federal agencies that manage construction projects and major actions, which may be able to move forward with fewer approval steps. The broader effects on the public—like how this might change environmental protection or project timelines—aren't detailed in the official summary.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Dec 3, 2025)
Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations Act or the RED Tape Act
This bill removes the requirement under the Clean Air Act that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review and comment on newly authorized federal construction projects and other major federal agency actions that already require review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and proposed federal regulations.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 6398
AN ACT
RED Tape Act
Sponsor: Rep. John Joyce (R-PA-13) · Introduced Dec 3, 2025 · Environmental Protection · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 17, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Apr 16, 2026
Passage Passed 222–205
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 7 | 204 | 2 |
| Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republicans | 214 | 1 | 2 |
8 members voted against most of their party: 7 Democrats voted Yes and 1 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 4 official versions.