33 U.S.C. § 535d — Permitting for international bridges

(a) Definitions. (1) "Eligible applicant" means someone who applied for a Presidential permit between December 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, for (A) one or more international bridges in Webb County, Texas, (B) an international bridge in Cameron County, Texas, or (C) an international bridge in Maverick County, Texas. (2) "Presidential permit" means (A) presidential approval to build, maintain, and operate an international bridge under section 535b of this title, or under the process in Executive Order 13867 (or any order that replaces it), including (B) an amendment to either kind of approval. (3) "Secretary" means the Secretary of State. (b) Application. An eligible applicant for a Presidential permit must submit its application to the Secretary. (c) Recommendation. (1) Within 60 days of getting the application, the Secretary must recommend to the President either (A) granting the permit, or (B) denying it. (2) That recommendation must be based on whether the bridge serves U.S. foreign policy interests. (d) Presidential action. (1) The President must grant or deny the permit within 60 days of whichever comes first: (A) the date the Secretary makes the recommendation, or (B) the date the Secretary was required to make it. (2) (A) If the President misses that deadline, the permit is treated as granted as of that deadline. (B) But as a condition of that automatic grant, the applicant must still complete all environmental documents required under the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). (e) Document requirements. Despite any other law, the Secretary cannot require an eligible applicant to (1) include environmental documents under the National Environmental Policy Act in its application, or (2) finish any environmental review under that Act before the President grants the permit. (f) Rules of construction. Nothing in this section (1) stops the President from conditioning a permit on the applicant later completing environmental documents and following relevant laws; (2) stops the Secretary from asking for a list of all other federal, state, and local permits the applicant thinks it needs for the bridge, or a summary of how it will get them, before recommending to the President; (3) excuses an applicant from completing environmental documents under the National Environmental Policy Act before actually building the bridge; or (4) excuses an applicant from following that Act or any other law.