Procedures for Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is amending and updating its regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The amendments revise NASA's regulations to better align with the Agency's current and near future actions, adjust the level of NEPA review and documentation required for certain actions, and provide more concise descriptions of NASA actions. Additionally, consistent with NASA's requirement to review existing Categorical Exclusions (CatExs) at least every seven years to determine whether modifications, additions, or deletions are appropriate, this final rule incorporates updates to NASA's CatExs based on that review. With the exception of revisions to the legal authority citations, there are no textual changes between the proposed rule that published for public comment on May 3, 2023, and this final rule.