On June 5, 2025, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced the launch of the Categorical Exclusion Explorer tool. The tool is described as "a technology tool that will increase transparency and streamline environmental reviews and permitting processes by providing a digitized public database of each Federal agency’s existing categorical exclusions established under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)." It is designed to aid parties in identifying possible exclusions from the procedural requirements of NEPA.
The tool was developed by the Permitting Innovation Center, which was created pursuant to President Trump's memorandum on updating permitting technology.