[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2425 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 861
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2425

                     [Report No. 115-1086, Part I]

To support the establishment and improvement of communications sites on 
or adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 
the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture through the retention and 
 use of rental fees associated with such sites, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2017

 Mr. Huffman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, 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

                           December 20, 2018

   Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

                           December 20, 2018

 Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending 
                    not later than December 28, 2018

                           December 28, 2018

Additional sponsors: Mr. LaMalfa, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Kilmer, 
                             and Ms. Eshoo

                           December 28, 2018

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
    Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 16, 
                                 2017]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To support the establishment and improvement of communications sites on 
or adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 
the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture through the retention and 
 use of rental fees associated with such sites, 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 ``Public Lands Telecommunications 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Communications site.--The term ``communications site'' 
        means an area of Federal lands available for communications 
        use.
            (2) Communications use.--The term ``communications use'' 
        means the placement or operation of infrastructure for wireline 
        or wireless telecommunications, including cable television, 
        television, and radio communications, regardless of whether 
        such placement or operation is pursuant to a license issued by 
        the Federal Communications Commission or on an unlicensed basis 
        in accordance with the regulations of the Commission. The term 
        includes any ancillary activities, uses, or facilities directly 
        related to such placement or operation.
            (3) Communications use authorization.--The term 
        ``communications use authorization'' means a right-of-way, 
        permit, or lease granted, issued, or executed by a Federal land 
        management agency for the primary purpose of authorizing the 
        occupancy and use of Federal lands for communications use.
            (4) Federal land management agency.--The term ``Federal 
        land management agency'' means the National Park Service, the 
        United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land 
        Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service.
            (5) Federal lands.--The term ``Federal lands'' means lands 
        under the jurisdiction and management of a Federal land 
        management agency.
            (6) Rental fee.--The term ``rental fee'' means any fee 
        collected by a Federal land management agency related to the 
        occupancy and use authorized by a communications use 
        authorization pursuant to and consistent with authorizing law.

SEC. 3. COLLECTION AND RETENTION OF RENTAL FEES ASSOCIATED WITH 
              COMMUNICATIONS USE AUTHORIZATIONS ON FEDERAL LANDS AND 
              FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY SUPPORT FOR COMMUNICATION 
              SITE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Special Account Required.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
establish a special account in the Treasury for each Federal land 
management agency for the deposit of rental fees received by a Federal 
land management agency for communications use authorizations on Federal 
lands granted, issued, or executed by the Federal land management 
agency.
    (b) Competitively Neutral.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, any rental fees collected pursuant to this Act shall be imposed on 
a competitively neutral, technology-neutral, and nondiscriminatory 
basis with respect to other uses of the communication site.
    (c) Deposit and Retention of Rental Fees.--Rental fees received by 
a Federal land management agency shall--
            (1) be deposited in the special account established for 
        that Federal land management agency; and
            (2) remain available for expenditure under subsection (d), 
        to the extent and in such amounts as are provided in advance in 
        appropriation Acts.
    (d) Expenditure of Retained Fees.--Amounts deposited in the special 
account for a Federal land management agency shall be used for Federal 
land management agency activities related to communications sites, 
including the following:
            (1) Administering communications use authorizations, 
        including cooperative agreements under section 4.
            (2) Preparing needs assessments or other programmatic 
        analyses necessary to establish communications sites and 
        authorize communications uses on or adjacent to Federal lands.
            (3) Developing management plans for communications sites on 
        or adjacent to Federal lands on a competitively neutral, 
        technology-neutral, nondiscriminatory basis.
            (4) Training for management of communications sites on or 
        adjacent to Federal lands.
            (5) Obtaining, improving access to, or establishing 
        communications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands.
    (e) No Effect on Other Fee Retention Authorities.--This Act shall 
not limit or otherwise affect fee retention by a Federal land 
management agency under any other authority.

SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AUTHORITY.

    (a) Department of the Interior.--The Secretary of the Interior may 
enter into cooperative agreements to carry out the activities described 
in section 3(d).
    (b) Forest Service.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
the Chief of the Forest Service, may enter into cooperative agreements 
to carry out the activities described in section 3(d).
                                                 Union Calendar No. 861

115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2425

                     [Report No. 115-1086, Part I]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To support the establishment and improvement of communications sites on 
or adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 
the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture through the retention and 
 use of rental fees associated with such sites, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 28, 2018

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
    Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed