Bill Overview
Title: A bill to include certain computer-related projects in the Federal permitting program under title XLI of the FAST Act, and for other purposes.
Description: This bill expands the expedited environmental review and permitting process under Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, commonly known as FAST-41, to include certain computer-related infrastructure projects. Specifically, the bill provides for the expedited review of infrastructure projects concerning semiconductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, high-performance computing and advanced computer hardware and software, quantum information science and technology, data storage and data management, or cybersecurity.
Sponsors: Sen. Hagerty, Bill [R-TN]
Target Audience
Population: Global population impacted by computer-related infrastructure bill
Estimated Size: 50000000
- The bill focuses on computer-related infrastructure projects, suggesting it targets industries involved in technology and infrastructure development.
- Sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, advanced hardware/software, quantum technologies, data management, and cybersecurity will be impacted.
- Individuals working in these sectors—engineers, scientists, IT professionals, data analysts, and cybersecurity experts—are directly impacted.
- Organizations ranging from startups to large corporations dealing with these technologies will be directly affected.
- The broader impact includes employees and contractors engaged in infrastructure development and related supply chain projects.
Reasoning
- The policy is aimed at sectors that are predominantly innovative and dynamic in nature, leading to potentially higher impacts on individuals directly involved in these fields.
- Given the policy focus, urban tech hubs like Silicon Valley, Austin, Seattle, and New York are likely to feel the strongest direct effects since they host a concentration of technology companies and professionals.
- Workers within semiconductor, AI, and cybersecurity fields might experience career benefits such as job security, salary increases, and improved career pathways due to expedited infrastructure projects.
- There will be secondary effects on professionals engaged in the support, maintenance, and regulatory aspects of these industries.
- The policy budget constraints, while supportive, mean not every project will benefit, making the distribution of impact uneven across the workforce.
Simulated Interviews
Semiconductor Engineer (San Jose, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might help my company to speed up our development process.
- Faster infrastructure projects mean we can compete better globally.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Senior Data Analyst (Austin, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see this as a big plus for us; less red tape means quicker project turnaround.
- This could lead to more job stability and growth in our sector.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Quantum Computing Researcher (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy may enhance collaboration opportunities with tech companies.
- Faster permits and reviews could accelerate our research timelines.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Small Tech Firm Owner (Rural Ohio)
Age: 56 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Easier permitting could be a game changer for my business, allowing us to launch products quicker.
- I hope this trickles down to smaller firms and doesn't just benefit the big players.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Cybersecurity Specialist (Seattle, WA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might open up new projects and expansion into emerging tech areas.
- I expect increased workload but also more opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
AI Start-up Founder (Boston, MA)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A streamlined process could significantly reduce our go-to-market time.
- I am optimistic about scaling faster with fewer regulatory hurdles.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Software Developer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might give our small team an edge in development timelines.
- Could mean more job stability and faster career growth opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Regulatory Compliance Analyst (Portland, OR)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy simplification will make my job more dynamic as companies look for quick consultations.
- There may be a learning curve initially, but overall a positive change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Network Infrastructure Consultant (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This sounds like it could make project completions faster, increasing my business opportunities.
- I see potential for growth in the client base with increased infrastructure projects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cybersecurity Consultant (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Hoping the policy aids in creating more affordable solutions for small businesses.
- The demand for consultancy could rise as new tech developments emerge.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $75000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $100000000)
Year 2: $80000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $110000000)
Year 3: $85000000 (Low: $65000000, High: $120000000)
Year 5: $90000000 (Low: $70000000, High: $125000000)
Year 10: $95000000 (Low: $75000000, High: $130000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The rapid integration of emerging technology infrastructure has significant economic benefits but requires careful regulatory oversight to prevent unintended environmental impacts.
- The execution of this bill requires close collaboration between various federal and state-level agencies to effectively implement expedited processes.
- Monitoring and continuous evaluation will be crucial to maintain a balance between expedited reviews and environmental protections.
- Securing the necessary resources (e.g., technological, human capital) is critical to support the administrative expansion to include these new project types.