---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 15952"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "15952"
heading: "Federal-State regulatory coordination and assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/15952"
units:
  - "Chapter 149 — National Energy Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter III — Oil and Gas"
  - "Part D — Refinery Revitalization"
---

# §15952. Federal-State regulatory coordination and assistance

- (a) **In general—** At the request of the Governor of a [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2), the [Administrator](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-1) may enter into a refinery permitting cooperative agreement with the [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2), under which each party to the agreement identifies steps, including timelines, that it will take to streamline the consideration of Federal and [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2) environmental permits for a new refinery.
- (b) **Authority under agreement—** The [Administrator](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-1) shall be authorized to—
  - (1) accept from a refiner a consolidated application for all permits required from the Environmental Protection [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), to the extent consistent with other applicable law;
  - (2) enter into memoranda of agreement with other Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) to coordinate consideration of refinery applications and permits among Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1); and
  - (3) enter into memoranda of agreement with a [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2), under which Federal and [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2) review of refinery permit applications will be coordinated and concurrently considered, to the extent practicable.
- (c) **State assistance—** The [Administrator](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-1) is authorized to provide financial assistance to [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2) governments to facilitate the hiring of additional personnel with expertise in fields relevant to consideration of refinery permits.
- (d) **Other assistance—** The [Administrator](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-1) is authorized to provide technical, legal, or other assistance to [State](/usc/42/15951.md?p=b-2) governments to facilitate their review of applications to build new refineries.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–58, title III, § 392, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 749.)