Before big projects like mines can get built, federal agencies have to study how they might affect the environment, and a 2015 law called the FAST Act created a faster, more coordinated version of that review, overseen by a small federal group called the Permitting Council, which helps agencies work together on approvals. In 2021 the Permitting Council issued a rule making certain mining infrastructure projects eligible for that faster review, and this bill would write that eligibility into law permanently so it no longer depends on the Council's rule. The bill would also block the Council from finalizing a 2023 proposal that would have narrowed the fast track to mining projects for critical minerals only, meaning the wider range of mining projects covered under the 2021 rule would stay eligible. The people most directly affected are mining companies seeking permits and the federal agencies that review those projects; the bill's summary does not describe any other changes to how the reviews are carried out.