[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1681 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 494
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 1681
[Report No. 119-439, Parts I and II]
To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that
certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational
units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for
communications use authorizations, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Mr. Evans of Colorado (for himself and Ms. Craig) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and
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
January 12, 2026
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources
March 26, 2026
Additional sponsor: Mr. Vindman
March 26, 2026
Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce
March 26, 2026
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that
certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational
units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for
communications use authorizations, 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 ``Expediting Federal Broadband
Deployment Reviews Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY STRIKE FORCE.
(a) Interagency Strike Force.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall
establish an interagency strike force to ensure that each
Federal land management agency, including each organizational
unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for
communications use authorizations.
(2) Members.--The strike force shall be composed of--
(A) the Assistant Secretary;
(B) the head of each Federal land management
agency;
(C) a designee of the Secretary of Agriculture,
other than the Chief of the Forest Service; and
(D) a designee of the Secretary of the Interior,
other than the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management.
(3) Duties.--The duties of the strike force shall include--
(A) conducting periodic calls between the members
of the strike force to ensure that each Federal land
management agency, including each organizational unit
of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for
communications use authorizations;
(B) establishing objective and reasonable goals for
the review of requests for communications use
authorizations; and
(C) monitoring, and facilitating the accountability
of, each Federal land management agency, including each
organizational unit of the agency, with respect to
meeting such goals.
(4) Report to congress.--Not later than 270 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report on the effectiveness of the strike force in ensuring
that each Federal land management agency, including each
organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of
requests for communications use authorizations.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives;
(B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House
of Representatives;
(C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Environment and Public Works
of the Senate;
(E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry of the Senate.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(3) Communications facility.--The term ``communications
facility'' has the meaning given the term ``communications
facility installation'' in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class
Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(d)).
(4) Communications use.--The term ``communications use''
means the placement and operation of a communications facility.
(5) Communications use authorization.--The term
``communications use authorization'' means an easement, right-
of-way, lease, license, or other authorization--
(A) provided by a Federal land management agency;
(B) to locate or modify a communications facility
on covered land; and
(C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the
occupancy and use of such land for communications use.
(6) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means--
(A) public lands; and
(B) National Forest System land.
(7) Federal land management agency.--The term ``Federal
land management agency'' means each of the following:
(A) The Bureau of Land Management.
(B) The Forest Service.
(8) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest
System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
(9) Organizational unit.--The term ``organizational unit''
means--
(A) with respect to the Bureau of Land Management--
(i) a State office;
(ii) a regional office;
(iii) a district office; or
(iv) a field office; and
(B) with respect to the Forest Service--
(i) a regional office;
(ii) a management unit; or
(iii) a ranger district office.
(10) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the
meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
(11) Strike force.--The term ``strike force'' means the
interagency strike force established under subsection (a)(1).
Union Calendar No. 494
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 1681
[Report No. 119-439, Parts I and II]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that
certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational
units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for
communications use authorizations, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 26, 2026
Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce
March 26, 2026
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed