Introduced in Senate — S. 2391

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2391

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 23, 2025

Mr. Kim (for himself and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

A BILL

To designate an environmental review procedure for certain assistance administered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Better Use of Intergovernmental and Local Development for Housing Act or the BUILD Housing Act.

Sec. 2. Designation of environmental review procedure

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3531 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 12 (42 U.S.C. 3537a) the following:

13. Designation of environmental review procedure
(a) In general
Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary may, for purposes of environmental review, decision making, and action pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and other provisions of law that further the purposes of such Act, designate the treatment of assistance administered by the Secretary as funds for a special project for purposes of section 305(c) of the Multifamily Housing Property Disposition Reform Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 3547).
(b) Exception
The designation described in subsection (a) shall not apply to assistance for which a procedure for carrying out the responsibilities of the Secretary under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and other provisions of law that further the purposes of such Act, is otherwise specified in law.

Sec. 3. Tribal assumption of environmental review obligations

Section 305(c) of the Multifamily Housing Property Disposition Reform Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 3547) is amended—

(1)

by striking State or unit of general local government each place it appears and inserting State, Indian Tribe, or unit of general local government;

(2)

in paragraph (1)(C), in the heading, by striking State or unit of general local government and inserting State, Indian Tribe, or unit of general local government; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(5) Definition of Indian Tribe
For purposes of this subsection, the term Indian Tribe means a federally recognized tribe, as defined in section 4(13)(B) of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103(13)(B)).