On December 11, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)-supported Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act. The legislation focuses on reforming federal permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act with the goal of reducing delays and uncertainty that can slow housing and infrastructure projects.

The vote moves the bill to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers will continue debating how to balance environmental protections with the need to build homes and infrastructure more efficiently.

What the PERMIT Act Does

The PERMIT Act is intended to streamline environmental permitting and reduce regulatory uncertainty that builders and infrastructure providers say contributes to rising costs and project delays. Key provisions of the bill include:

• Clarifying Clean Water Act jurisdiction by redefining “waters of the United States” and codifying exclusions for features such as waste treatment systems, ephemeral streams, and groundwater.

• Extending and improving nationwide permits to provide longer, more predictable authorization timelines.

• Establishing limits on judicial review timelines to reduce prolonged litigation and project delays.

• Addressing backlogs and inefficiencies in the issuance of jurisdictional determinations.

• Restoring a clearer pathway for states to assume control of their own wetlands permitting programs.

Lawmakers also adopted an NAHB-supported amendment on the House floor that would reduce compensatory mitigation costs through targeted, commonsense reforms. The amendment is intended to maintain environmental protections while improving predictability and supporting economic growth.

Supporters argue these reforms will create regulatory certainty, lower development costs, and help accelerate housing and infrastructure production at a time of acute national need.

What Happens Next

With House passage secured, the PERMIT Act now moves to the U.S. Senate, where its future remains uncertain. The legislation is expected to be part of a broader debate over federal permitting reform, infrastructure delivery, and housing affordability. For homebuilders and policymakers focused on reducing costs and delays, the outcome could have meaningful implications for how quickly new housing and infrastructure projects can move from proposal to construction.

For more details, view the NAHB blog or contact Dylan Sluder, State Government Affairs Manager, at MBAKS via 425.451.7920 for additional information.

The Builders’ Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

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Contact:
Stephanie Giralmo, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Promotes Jerry Hall to Serve as Executive Director

“For me, the importance of the association’s purpose is heartfelt and personal,” said Jerry Hall, Executive Director of MBAKS. “We are fortunate to live in a region that has enjoyed extraordinary economic success over the last few decades, yet, because the supply of housing did not keep pace with our growth, the cost of housing has reached unattainable levels for too many.”

Hall holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Whitman College and a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. With decades of business leadership experience, he joined MBAKS in August of 2018, serving as its Chief Operating Officer. Shortly thereafter, he began serving as its Chief Financial Officer, and most recently as the organization’s Interim Executive Director.

“We are at a tipping point in our region and access to housing is becoming increasingly difficult” stated Hall. “I’m honored to be given the opportunity to lead the vital work MBAKS does in making home ownership possible for generations to come.”

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders’ association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

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