Accelerating the Nation's Economic Recovery From the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities

The order directs the Secretary of Transportation to expedite all authorized and appropriated highway and infrastructure projects; directs the Secretary of the Army (through the Army Corps of Engineers) to accelerate civil works projects; and directs the Secretaries of Defense, Interior, and Agriculture to fast-track infrastructure, energy, and natural resource projects on federal lands. It also requires all agency heads to identify projects eligible for NEPA emergency alternative arrangements, categorical exclusions, or already-completed analyses — and to use ESA emergency consultation procedures and Army Corps emergency permitting provisions to the fullest extent allowed by law.

The order creates a layered, ongoing reporting structure: every agency must submit an initial summary report to OMB, the White House economic policy office, and the Council on Environmental Quality within 30 days, followed by status updates every 30 days for the duration of the declared national emergency. It explicitly does not create any enforceable right or benefit, and all actions must comply with applicable law and available appropriations.

Federal agencies directing infrastructure spending — especially Transportation, Army Corps of Engineers, Interior, Agriculture, and Defense — as well as construction contractors, state transportation departments, and energy developers whose projects on federal lands or waterways may benefit from expedited federal environmental review and permitting.

Infrastructure and energy projects that might otherwise wait months for environmental review could move faster if agencies invoke available emergency procedures. Workers in construction and building trades stand to gain employment sooner, while environmental groups may see less opportunity for full public review of projects during the emergency period.

Each covered agency independently identifies eligible projects and submits an initial summary report within 30 days to three recipients: the OMB Director, the White House Assistant for Economic Policy, and the CEQ Chairman. Status reports follow every 30 days for as long as the COVID-19 national emergency remains in effect. CEQ, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Army Corps are each made available for prompt consultation with other agencies. The order carries no independent enforcement mechanism beyond the reporting obligation; compliance depends on agency initiative and political accountability to the White House offices receiving the reports.