Overview

• The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill 267–116 on July 17 following Senate passage in May, and the measure now heads to President Lula.
• Under the law, projects deemed to have medium pollution potential can bypass impact studies by self-declaring approval through an online form.
• Licensing agencies will only review projects on officially recognized Indigenous and quilombola territories, excluding more than 30% of Indigenous lands and over 80% of quilombola areas awaiting official titling.
• The legislation provides special environmental licenses for government-designated strategic infrastructure projects, including Amazon coast oil exploration and upgrades to the BR-319 highway.
• Any presidential veto is expected to be overridden by the conservative-led Congress, setting up a likely Supreme Court challenge as experts warn of accelerated deforestation, climate risks and corruption.