Bill Details
HR.2298 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-03-24 - Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced Date
2025-03-24
Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Committees
View committees (2)
Sponsors
8
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would make it easier to build certain broadband projects on federal land, especially when those projects are placed in or near existing rights-of-way such as roads, highways, sidewalks, and similar areas. It says that these projects would not have to go through some of the usual federal environmental review steps or historic preservation review steps that can slow down approval. In simple terms, the bill is meant to reduce delays for broadband construction by treating these kinds of projects as exempt from some federal review requirements.
- Broadband projects covered by the bill include wireline or wireless infrastructure, such as fiber optic lines, copper lines, towers, buildings, and similar improvements.
- The bill says the federal approval for one of these projects would not count as a major action under the main federal environmental law, so a full environmental review would not be required just for that reason.
- It also says these projects would not count as a covered undertaking under federal historic preservation law, which means a separate historic review would not be required for those projects.
- The right-of-way covered by the bill includes space on, below, or above roads and similar property, plus nearby land within the right-of-way grant, but it does not include the Interstate Highway System.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2298 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2298
To ensure that certain broadband projects are not subject to
requirements to prepare certain environmental or historical
preservation reviews, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 24, 2025
Mr. Fulcher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure that certain broadband projects are not subject to
requirements to prepare certain environmental or historical
preservation reviews, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reducing Barriers for Broadband on
Federal Lands Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN BROADBAND PROJECTS.
(a) NEPA Exemption.--The issuance of a Federal authorization with
respect to a broadband project carried out in a right-of-way may not be
considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
(b) National Historic Preservation Act Exemption.--A broadband
project carried out in a right-of-way may not be considered an
undertaking under section 300320 of title 54, United States Code.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Broadband project.--The term ``broadband project''
means an installation, by a broadband provider on Federal land,
of wireline or wireless broadband infrastructure that enables a
user to originate and receive high-quality voice, data,
graphics, and video telecommunications, including copper lines,
fiber optic lines, communications towers, buildings, or other
improvements.
(2) Broadband provider.--The term ``broadband provider''
means a provider of wireline or wireless broadband
infrastructure that enables a user to originate and receive
high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video
telecommunications.
(3) Federal authorization.--The term ``Federal
authorization''--
(A) means any authorization required under Federal
law with respect to a project; and
(B) includes any permits, special use
authorizations, certifications, opinions, or other
approvals as may be required under Federal law with
respect to a project.
(4) Right-of-way.--The term ``right-of-way''--
(A) means--
(i) the area on, below, or above a roadway,
highway, street, sidewalk, alley, or similar
property (whether currently or previously used
in such manner); and
(ii) any land immediately adjacent to and
contiguous with property described in clause
(i) that is within the right-of-way grant; and
(B) does not include a portion of the Interstate
System (as such term is defined in section 101(a) of
title 23, United States Code).
<all>