FAST-41 Initiation Notice (FIN)

Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), 42 U.S.C. 4370m et seq., the Permitting Council is a unique Federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the Federal environmental review and authorization process for certain infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is comprised of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 Federal agency Council members (including deputy secretary-level designees of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior, Energy, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, and Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation); and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the OMB. 42 U.S.C. 4370m-1(a) & (b). The Permitting Council coordinates Federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage. Those projects are entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard in compliance with FAST-41 procedural requirements. 42 U.S.C. 4370m-2(c) & (d). Sponsors of FAST-41 covered projects also benefit from the direct engagement of the Permitting Council Executive Director and the Permitting Council members in timely identification and resolution of permitting issues that affect covered projects’ permitting timetables. FAST-41 is a voluntary program for project sponsors to have additional support through the environmental review and permitting process. The first step to becoming a covered project under FAST-41 is to submit a FAST-41 Initiation Notice (FIN), required by 42 U.S.C. 4370m-2(a)(1). The FIN is required to include the purpose of the project, a brief description, statements of technical and financial feasibility, a statement of anticipated federal financing, reviews, and authorizations, and an assessment of whether the project meets the statutory definition of a “covered project” under FAST-41. 42 U.S.C. 4370m-2(a)(1)(C).

The latest form for FAST-41 Initiation Notice (FIN) expires 2026-06-30 and can be found here.