The BUILD Housing Act ... to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process by cutting red tape around environmental reviews, empowering state, local, and tribal governments to streamline reviews, and increasing housing development via capacity sharing between the Department of Housing & Urban Development and states and localities.
Pass legislation to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process to streamline environmental reviews and increase housing development.
Occurrences
Senator Kim’s bipartisan BUILD Housing Act ... and the Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act ... were included in the housing package. These bills would modernize the federal housing review process to responsibly increase housing production and boost overall supply to lower costs.
The Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act would modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for housing projects/services funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...
The legislation I’ve introduced will right size red tape, speed up the permitting process so housing projects can get to construction much faster.
Evidence
Senators Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for housing projects funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The proposed bills aim to streamline environmental reviews to expedite housing development and reduce costs.
The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee unanimously advanced multiple bills led by Senator Andy Kim to address housing shortages and affordability. This includes the bipartisan BUILD Housing Act and the Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act, both aiming to modernize the NEPA review process for housing projects.
The US House of Representatives passed the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at modernizing and streamlining the NEPA process for infrastructure projects. The bill now advances to the US Senate for consideration.
The Senate amendment text for H.R. 6644, dated March 12, 2026, includes the BUILD Housing Act and section 208, the Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act, which directs HUD to streamline NEPA review for housing-related activities and expand/reclassify those activities under NEPA-related rules.
GovInfo lists H.Res. 1299 as introduced in the House on May 19, 2026, to provide for House concurrence in the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 with amendment, showing the housing package was still moving through Congress and had not reached final enactment as of that action.
Assessments
Kim materially advanced the promise in his current Senate term by introducing bipartisan NEPA-streamlining housing legislation and having related BUILD Housing Act and Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act provisions included in the Senate-passed H.R. 6644 housing package. However, the evidence does not establish final enactment into law by July 1, 2026; GovInfo materials show House concurrence activity still pending after Senate passage. Because the promised legislative outcome has not clearly become law and remains capable of completion during the same federal term, this is unresolved rather than delivered or never.
Kim materially advanced NEPA-streamlining legislation by introducing it and pushing related housing bills through committee and into a Senate amendment, but the evidence does not show final enactment into law. The claim is about passing legislation, and the available record shows progress, not completion.
Senator Andy Kim introduced and advanced bipartisan legislation in the Senate to modernize the NEPA review process for HUD-funded housing projects, and related bills passed out of committee. However, there is no evidence the legislation was fully enacted into law; the House passed related bills, but Senate approval and final passage are not confirmed. Significant legislative effort was undertaken, but full delivery of the promise (passage into law) has not occurred.