The FEAT Act (Free to Exit Administrative Tribunals Act) lets certain parties move specific Interior Department administrative cases into a U.S. district court. "Covered action" means cases decided by the Departmental Cases Hearings Division or the Interior Board of Land Appeals in the Office of Hearings and Appeals. A "covered party" is someone who asked the Department for approval to do something that needs Department approval, or someone seeking relief from a Department sanction or civil penalty. The bill says a covered party may remove a covered action to a district court under 28 U.S.C. § 1446 within 60 days after the action starts. If removed, the district court must review the case de novo (start the review anew).
If you are a person or company that asked the Department of the Interior for permission to do something regulated by the Department, or you are challenging a Department penalty, this bill would allow you to move that administrative case to a federal district court within 60 days. The court would reconsider the matter from the beginning rather than just reviewing the agency record.
No publicly available information on costs or budget effects appears in the bill text or the provided metadata.
The bill’s short title and text state an aim to expedite resolution of certain Department of the Interior administrative proceedings by allowing removal to federal court and de novo review.
No publicly available information on opposition, objections, or concerns is provided in the bill text or the metadata.