Relating to permit application review and contested case procedures for environmental permits involving a project to construct or modify a liquefied natural gas export terminal; authorizing a fee.

Contracts

• Environmental Consultants: Amend Master Service Agreements (MSAs) to align consultant deliverables with the new statutory deadline requiring TCEQ to respond to comments within 120 days. Include penalties for consultant delays that jeopardize the expedited timeline.
• EPC Agreements: Update "Permit Issuance" definitions and "Notice to Proceed" triggers in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contracts to reflect the accelerated regulatory timeline, preventing misalignment on mobilization dates.

Hiring/Training

• Legal Counsel: Litigation teams must be trained on the compressed SOAH schedule; the Preliminary Hearing must now occur within 60 days of case referral. Standard delay tactics and extended discovery windows are no longer viable.
• Technical Staff: Internal engineering teams must be prepared to support TCEQ staff on an overtime basis (funded by the new fee) to draft technical responses to public comments rapidly.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Application Election: You must affirmatively elect the "Expedited Permit Application Review Process" at the time of filing the initial application (likely via a checkbox on Form PI-1 or similar).
• Standing Challenges: When defending against contested case hearing requests, legal teams must document whether the protestant "specified each reason" for their affected person status. Vague assertions are now statutorily insufficient and should be moved for dismissal immediately.

Fees & Costs

• Expedited Surcharge: Budget for a new, non-refundable surcharge. The amount is currently TBD but is statutorily authorized to cover TCEQ overtime and contract labor costs. This will be an addition to standard application fees.