FASTER Act Mandates Border Infrastructure Checks Every Two Years, Allows Waivers to Speed Up Repairs

The Furthering American Security by Tempering Environmental Regulations Act—or the FASTER Act—is all about making sure the physical infrastructure on the southern border stays functional. Essentially, this bill is setting up a mandatory maintenance schedule for walls, fences, and surveillance tech, and it’s giving the government a fast pass to fix things when they break.

The Mandatory Maintenance Check

This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a full survey of the southern border’s “tactical infrastructure” every two years. This isn't just a quick look; the survey must pinpoint three things: how many miles of the border are totally lacking infrastructure, what physical structures are damaged or failing, and what tech (like sensors or cameras) is broken. The first check must happen quickly—within 180 days of the bill becoming law—and the findings must be reported to Congress and made public within 90 days, though the Secretary can submit a classified attachment if necessary.

For anyone working in infrastructure, construction, or logistics, this biennial check-up is a big deal. It creates a predictable, recurring demand for assessment and repair work. It means the government can't just let the fences rust or the cameras fail without having to formally report the problem to Congress and the public. The bill defines a “deficiency” clearly: something that is damaged, unmaintained, or simply not operational. This regular reporting aims to keep the pressure on for consistent upkeep.

The Regulatory Fast Pass

Here’s where the bill gets interesting—and potentially controversial. If the survey finds a deficiency, the Secretary must take “immediate action” to fix it. To ensure these repairs happen quickly, the bill grants the Secretary special authority to waive “any normal legal requirements” that might slow down the correction. This isn't a small detail; it means that if a section of the wall is damaged and needs immediate repair, the government could bypass standard legal processes, potentially including environmental reviews (like those required under NEPA) or standard competitive bidding processes for contractors.

For environmental groups, this is a major red flag, as it allows rapid construction or repair without the usual oversight designed to protect sensitive habitats. For contractors and vendors, this could mean that standard procurement rules—which usually ensure fair competition for government contracts—might be sidestepped in favor of speed, potentially changing how repair contracts are awarded. The intent is clearly to reduce bureaucratic friction and speed up fixes, but the cost is a significant reduction in transparency and regulatory review.

What This Means in the Real World

Think of this as a permanent, emergency repair clause for the border. If a severe storm damages a mile of fencing, the Secretary doesn't have to wait months for environmental assessments or go through a lengthy contracting process; they can, theoretically, start fixing it right away. While this ensures border security infrastructure stays operational, it concentrates a lot of power in the hands of the Secretary and removes many of the checks and balances that govern federal construction projects. The trade-off is efficiency for oversight. The biennial reports will tell us exactly what's broken, but the waiver authority means the repairs could happen behind a curtain of expedited process, potentially affecting everything from local ecosystems to the standard practices of federal contracting.