Marino’s RAPID Act Passes the House

Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) successfully managed the passage of his signature piece of legislation, H.R. 348, the Responsibly And Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2015 (RAPID Act). The RAPID Act is specifically designed to streamline the approval and permitting processes for federally-funded energy, critical infrastructure and other vital construction projects. The RAPID Act also requires federal oversight agencies to provide approval or disapproval of a project in a reasonable amount of time.

Congressman Marino issued the following statement after the RAPID Act’s passage in the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 233-170:

“Millions of Americans are still out of work. Hundreds of critical infrastructure projects await approval. Yet, as I have said before, the primary reason for this is because the federal bureaucracy strangles our economy with needless red tape and duplicative regulations.

“However, there is a simple and reasonable solution, the RAPID Act. It will streamline the federal approval process, increase certainty within the markets and create jobs. Passage of the RAPID Act will bring America one step closer to the leaner, more efficient and prosperous country we deserve.”

Congressman Goodlatte (VA-06), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, also joined Rep. Marino today in the bill’s passage and issued the following statement:

“The RAPID Act will bring accountability and expediency to the permit approval process by setting hard deadlines, instituting oversight on those who control the process, and cracking down on costly and time-consuming lawsuits.”

On January 14, 2015, Congressman Marino reintroduced the RAPID Act for the 114th Congress. In late March of this year the RAPID Act passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 15-11.

Marino’s RAPID Act was a featured part Speaker John Boehner’s “Pillars of a Renewed Majority” document which outlined a roadmap consisting of five pillars designed to grow our economy, create jobs and increase opportunity for upcoming generations of Americans. In one such pillar, multiple regulatory reform bills are mentioned. Congressman Marino has sponsored or been an original cosponsor of two of those – the RAPID Act and H.R. 185, the Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) which also passed the House on January 13, 2015 by a vote of 250-175.

The RAPID Act also passed the House in the 112th and 113th Congresses.

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