[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7159-H7161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3293) 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,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3293
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.
[[Page H7160]]
(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).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3293, Expediting Federal
Broadband Deployment Reviews Act. This legislation establishes an
interagency strike force to help prioritize permitting reviews for
deploying broadband on Federal lands.
Broadband has become an essential part of everyday life. As we have
seen, we need broadband for work, to stay connected with loved ones,
and even for healthcare and education. Too many Americans still lack
access to broadband. Thus, Congress has provided billions of dollars to
ensure that every American gets connected.
Deploying on Federal lands is a critical part of closing the digital
divide. Many unserved communities are near Federal lands and thus
broadband providers must traverse these lands to reach these unserved
homes and businesses.
Unfortunately, deploying broadband on Federal lands can be
burdensome, particularly when it comes to the permitting process.
Providers have testified that this complicated process moves slowly,
and they are left in the dark on the status of their applications.
As a result, unserved communities are left without the broadband they
need as providers wait for agencies to approve their permits.
We need to reform the broadband permitting process. Not only do we
need to streamline how we review permits, we also need to ensure that
agencies that manage Federal lands prioritize these reviews. H.R. 3293,
the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, will help
ensure this happens.
H.R. 3293 directs the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration to create an interagency strike force that includes the
head of each Federal land management agency to ensure that they are
prioritizing the review of broadband permitting applications.
In addition to holding periodic calls, the strike force will
establish goals for the review of the requests and monitor and hold
each agency accountable for meeting those goals. This strike force is
necessary to expedite the permitting process so that every American has
access to broadband.
I thank the gentleman from South Carolina's Third District (Mr.
Duncan) and the gentlewoman from Minnesota's Second District (Ms.
Craig) for their leadership on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3293, the Expediting Federal
Broadband Deployment Reviews Act which was introduced by
Representatives Duncan and Craig.
As this year comes to a close and with an eye towards 2025, I am
excited to see real progress in the year ahead on many of the broadband
deployment efforts, including in the bipartisan infrastructure law.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and
the Federal Communications Commission laid so much important groundwork
over the past 2 years, notably creating accurate and reliable broadband
availability maps, so that infrastructure dollars will go to
communities where they truly are needed.
In the coming year, many projects funded under the $42 billion BEAD
program will begin to break ground and connect for the first time
unserved and underserved communities to high-speed internet.
Communication providers are zeroing in on project areas and preparing
plans at the most granular level. In the course of this work, providers
will find that in many cases the most direct route to lay broadband
infrastructure requires traversing lands owned and managed by the
Federal Government.
In central Florida, we have a lot of Federal lands around Cape
Canaveral and Avon Park Air Force Range. We have a lot of national
parks in and around our area as well, so we know this well.
Earlier this Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee heard about
delays and inefficiencies in the handling of permit applications that
are pending at various agencies overseeing Federal lands.
While environmental and historic preservation protections will always
be of the utmost importance to me, we should strive to ensure our
agencies operate as efficiently as possible to dispense with
applications to deploy communications infrastructure where no
additional environmental or historic preservation due diligence is
required.
This bill calls on the administrator of the NTIA to establish an
interagency strike force that will improve collaboration between NTIA
and the agencies and departments responsible for reviewing and
improving communications use authorization applications.
This will help NTIA help bring relevant parties together to identify
the obstacles and inefficiencies that have slowed progress in the past
and collaborate on solutions to address these barriers, ultimately
expediting the deployment of broadband infrastructure to the rural and
remote areas most in need.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership of Representatives Duncan
and Craig on this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from South
Carolina's Third District (Mr. Duncan), the bill's sponsor.
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3293, the Expediting
Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act.
I thank House leadership for allowing this legislation to come to the
floor. I thank my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee on
both sides of the aisle for supporting this legislation in committee
and supporting it here today.
Mr. Speaker, in the 21st century, broadband internet access is no
longer a luxury. It is a necessity. It connects our communities. It
drives economic growth and allows our constituents to fully engage with
the digital age. Yet, millions of Americans still lack access to
reliable high-speed internet.
This digital divide is a barrier to opportunity, holding back
businesses, hindering education, and limiting access to essential
services. H.R. 3293 takes a crucial step towards bridging this divide
and streamlining the process for deploying broadband infrastructure.
Currently, the review process for obtaining permits and
authorizations can be lengthy and bureaucratic, causing significant
delays in deployment. This bill establishes an interagency strike force
to coordinate and expedite these reviews, ensuring that Federal
agencies prioritize broadband expansion. Streamlining these Federal
processes
[[Page H7161]]
will help get broadband deployed in the rural parts of America just
like the Third District of South Carolina.
The benefits of H.R. 3293 are clear. Faster broadband deployment will
create jobs, stimulate economic development, and improve the quality of
life for countless Americans. Students will have access to online
learning resources. Telehealth services will become more accessible,
and rural communities will be better connected to the global economy.
H.R. 3293 is a commonsense solution that will help us achieve
universal broadband access. It is a critical investment in our future,
and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3293, the Expediting
Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act.
I thank the bipartisan sponsors for this bill in working to close the
digital divide. There are over 7 million American homes and businesses
that lack access to high-speed broadband, and it is often lengthy
permitting processes that contribute to this digital divide.
In every industry ranging from energy to telecommunications, the
permitting process gets in the way of investment and deployment and
ends up hurting consumers the most.
There are so many benefits to communities having reliable internet
access such as educational and job opportunities, expansion of small
business operations, and simply allowing people and services to reach
new populations and areas.
Mr. Speaker, this important legislation ensures that broadband
deployment on Federal lands gets reviewed and prioritized in a timely
manner, while also holding the relevant agencies accountable, and I
urge my colleagues to support this bill.
{time} 1530
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, that was my last speaker on the bill. I am
prepared to close if my friend, the gentleman from Florida, is.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.
First, I thank Representative Duncan for his leadership on the
committee, especially in areas of energy. We worked on a lot of issues
relating to nuclear energy, which is going to be a key part of the
clean energy future that we all care deeply about, so I wish him well
in his future endeavors.
Mr. Speaker, it is simple. Once the environmental and historic
preservation reviews are done, or where they are not required, we have
to get these broadband dollars out the door.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier on the previous bills,
the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce has been moving legislation to make sure we get
broadband deployed across this country. As the speakers have already
mentioned, broadband is not something that is a luxury, but it is a
necessity.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the legislation today, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill,
H.R. 3293, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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