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.

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

April marked the second month in a row in King County and the third consecutive month in Snohomish County that the month’s supply of housing inventory was below two months. While this is below the four-to-six-month level—many industry analysts consider as an indicator of a healthy market—the year-over-year gain in inventory is significant.

The Builder's 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.

Download this month's report:

HIGH-END EASTSIDE HOME BUILDERS

Terrene Homes is a family-owned, Bellevue-based company specializing in residential building, specifically single-family and multifamily construction. Most of the 13-employee firm’s projects are on the Eastside and include both spec and design/build projects, at the higher end of quality and price. Terrene designs homes that “emphasize livability without sacrificing style, power, luxury, or comfort.” Danielle wears lots of financial and administrative hats at Terrene. “I’ve been with the company for eight years. My official title is accountant, but I also handle HR and I’m the liaison between employees and EPK Benefits, which administers our MBA Health Trust plan.”

THE MBA HEALTH TRUST PROVIDES AFFORDABLE RATES FOR SMALL FIRMS

Danielle says that it is tough for small businesses to maintain affordable health insurance. “As a company with a small number of employees, it’s hard to find coverage with affordable rates. We joined the MBA Health Trust eight years ago,” says Danielle. “We had just four employees when we first got health insurance and we now have 13 who are currently enrolled. And while remaining a relatively small firm, we’ve been able to keep insurance affordable during that whole period.”

Terrene is now enrolled in a Regence BlueShield PPO plan that provides competitive premiums. “We looked at other options,” Danielle says, “but it was most affordable through the MBA. Our monthly premium is significantly lower—around 10% savings.”

REGENCE BLUE SHIELD EXCELLENT FOR PREVENTIVE CARE

Terrene’s coverage includes Delta Dental of Washington, along with Regence, and Danielle says employees couldn’t be more pleased. “They are very happy with the Regence coverage and the flexibility and ability to see doctors they need to see, particularly in the preventive care area. We’ve had instances where employees were pleasantly surprised at what they had initially thought would be expensive out-of-pocket fees for preventive care, but they didn’t have to pay much at all.”

RESPONSIVE ADMINISTRATORS

EPK is the third-party organization that administers the plans for the MBA Health Trust. “They are extremely helpful and responsive,” says Danielle. “If there is a question of coverage, they are very quick to solve the issue.They are a great middleman for us and our employees to use as a resource.”

TERRENE ALSO PARTICIPATES IN THE MBA GRIP PROGRAM

The MBA also provides access to the GRIP program, which helps improve safety and reduces the overall cost of workers’ compensation for MBA members. “It’s a great program for loss prevention,” says Danielle. “And the GRIP safety team was just out here to do an overhaul of our current safety procedures. It’s a fantastic resource for safety and injuries, though we have never had to make that call.”