H.R. 4214: Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish timely guidance related to regulations on national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and exempts certain preconstruction permits from the 2024 fine particulate matter standard under the Clean Air Act.

First, the bill requires the EPA to concurrently publish final regulations and guidance on the implementation of the regulations when it publishes any final rule establishing or revising NAAQS. If the EPA fails to publish the final regulations and guidance for the new or revised NAAQS, the updated standard must not apply to the review and disposition of a preconstruction permit application until the EPA publishes the final regulations and guidance. (A preconstruction permit is a permit required under the Clean Air Act for the construction or modification of a stationary source and includes permits issued by the EPA or a state, local, or tribal permitting authority.)

Further, the bill exempts the review and disposition of preconstruction permit applications from the 2024 fine particulate matter standard if (1) an application is complete on or before the date the area involved is officially designated as a nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable area; or (2) the permitting authority publishes notice of a draft permit before the date that is 60 days after a final area designation is made.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.