S. 1430 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Apr 10, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryUses digital tools for highway environmental reviews
When the government funds highway projects, it requires environmental reviews to make sure they won't cause serious harm. This bill asks the Department of Transportation to encourage the groups building these projects to use interactive digital platforms and 3D digital models—basically advanced computer tools that let people visualize what a project will look like. The DOT would also test this approach on at least 10 projects and share best practice guidance with other project sponsors.
How it affects you
If you live near a highway project that receives federal funding, you might see these tools used to explain the project to the public and analyze its environmental impact. This could make it easier for communities to understand and weigh in on major transportation projects, though this bill doesn't change the basic environmental rules themselves—just how DOT encourages organizations to follow them.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 10, 2025)
Interactive Federal Review Act
This bill revises the environmental review process for federal-aid highway projects to encourage the use of certain digital platforms and models.
Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must encourage recipients of federal highway funding who are carrying out environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to utilize (1) interactive, digital, cloud-based platforms; and (2) high fidelity, three-dimensional digital models of infrastructure project elements, such as digital twins.
DOT must also select at least 10 federal-aid highway projects to demonstrate the use of these platforms and models in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and community engagement processes required under NEPA.
Further, DOT must publish technology-neutral best practice guidance to encourage sponsors of projects that receive federal funds from DOT to use these platforms and models in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and community engagement processes required under NEPA.
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 SessionS. 1430
A BILL
Interactive Federal Review Act
Sponsor: Sen. Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY) · Introduced Apr 10, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 10, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.”